Heart of the Phoenix
by I M Sterling
Summary: Years after Hogwarts, a widowed Hermione Granger Weasley is surprised to see Draco Malfoy walk into her office. What in the name of Merlin could a St. Mungo's Medical Curse Breaker need from her? Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Hello all. This is my first Harry Potter Fan Fic. I think it works with the DH Epilogue for the most part (some dates might be questionable). I'm planning for it to run about 20,000 words, and there is some mature content, so please, if you are too young to read it (or if you just don't like Hermione and Draco having sex) please find something else to read. **

**Obviously, I am not the lovely and talented Ms. Rowling and I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters…I just get to play with them in my spare time. **

**Heart of a Phoenix**

**Chapter One: **

**Draco:**

Draco walked into the office as his boss, Justin Finch-Finchley shuffled papers. He'd been at work for 36 hours straight and he wanted a hot shower, sleep, and some time with his son, in that order. He had twelve hours until Astoria dropped Scorp off…it was the last weekend before he left for Hogwarts.

"We need you to make the presentation to the Phoenix Foundation." Potter seemed to attract gold the way a necktie attracted staining liquids. Draco had the impression that it mostly embarrassed him that rich old witches kept leaving him mounds of gold when they died…so a few years back he'd opened a charity; the Phoenix Foundation. St. Mungos applied for grants from it on a fairly regular basis. Hospitals never ran in the black, and the Ministry was still reeling from being controlled by Death Eaters.

Draco rolled his eyes. He was very good at his job, why couldn't people just let him do it?

"I can't imagine that anyone would be a worse choice. Do you even remember how I was at Hogwarts? Potter and I came to a sort of truce after the war and all, but I doubt he'd be anxious to throw a load of gallons at a project just because I recommend it."

Justin snorted. He was alright, mostly, but a little too aware of his position of head of the department. _Better him than me._ Draco wouldn't take any amount of money to deal with the disparate and volatile personalities that were drawn to their particular field of expertise… it took an odd sort of person to spend their time breaking curses.

Justin looked up at him for the first time. "Jeez Draco, you look like hell."

It was just another day in paradise. He tried to keep a low profile at the hospital, but two hours ago one of the patents had recognized him. Her husband had thrown a fit and had to be sedated before Draco had been able to break the curse that was on his wife. Before he'd been sedated, he'd laid dozens of charges at Draco's feet…including a few that the Dark Lord would have blushed at. He didn't even HAVE a sister for Merlin's sake.

The new orderly had gaped when they took the husband out to sleep off the sedation spell, but there were two older ones who would fill the new guy in. Draco still got the occasional Howler from nutters, but he'd worked hard for nearly twenty years to restore the family name to something that his son could be proud to bear.

Justin cleared his throat. "I heard about you last case."

Draco shrugged. "It happens."

Justin snorted "Only to a select few."

Draco grinned. They weren't mates exactly, he didn't have many mates…but he didn't mind his boss. "It was a crappy day. That's exactly why I'm going home to shower and grab a few hours sleep…then spend the weekend with my son."

Justin nodded. "This can wait until next week, but it has to be you. You'll have a couple of weeks to put it together. All of the improvements we need new funding for are your ideas. The Ministry won't fund us, but the Phoenix foundation can. This could save lives, and I know how you are Draco…you wouldn't trust any of us to do this for you anyway." He grinned and Draco nodded, too tired to argue. "Get some rest. This shouldn't be a big deal. Just present your ideas to the head of the organization, and then let her decide."

Draco felt his brows pull together. "Her? I thought Potter ran the charity?"

Justin shrugged. "I think he just funds it, mostly. Hermione Granger-Weasley runs it."

Draco was left temporally speechless.

He let the shower heat up as he undressed. He wasn't the prat he'd been in school. He knew money wasn't everything. It would be very nice to be in a position to simply throw his own money at the problem, but that wasn't an option any more. Most of his family fortune had been wiped out paying fines for his father's crimes. There was still some money there, plenty to see to his mother and father as they aged, and there were lands and relics…but not enough ready cash to make a donation that would make a difference in the curse-breaker's unit. Too many curses came in, and they didn't have the means or the ability to really research them. They needed a whole new way of diagnosing the causes, but he worked all the hours that God put in the day just trying to save lives.

So he was going to have to ask Potter and Granger for help. He shrugged his pale shoulders. It pricked his pride a little…he hadn't had much to do with them…with anyone outside of work actually, in years.

His mind drifted back to his last case of the day…the woman who was sleeping in the hospital…he'd just barely saved her. He couldn't keep this up forever. And even when he was working like a dog, sometimes he missed things…because he was tired, because the curse was outside his specialty…because he let his mind wander for a moment. Healers weren't Gods. They had moments when they were thinking about lunch too…but when a healer did it people could die. There had to be a spell that could help do this impossible job. And he'd do whatever he had to do to find it…to have some sort of safety net between his work and other people's lives.

He let the hot spray wash away everything that was not important…things like pride, and vanity. He would love to be able to fix these problems all on his own, but he wouldn't let innocent people pay the price. There was a better way. Once they found it, medical curse-breaking would be easy.

He grinned as he washed his hair. Maybe once he found it, he could set up a nice family practice where he kept normal hours. Some place where Scorpius would be tempted to come for his summer breaks, so that when he hit fifteen next year, he could spend more time with him.

Draco pulled on an old pair of scrubs and fell into bed, pleased with his plan.

**Hermione: **

She wasn't sure why she came into work today at all, except that work was just something one did every day. Besides, with Rose and Hugo away at Hogwarts, there was very little incentive to stay home and relive the day Ron had died.

Well, except the fact that she couldn't help but remember.

_Ronald Weasley! You can't go to work like that!" He'd grinned as he stuffed a whole piece of toast in his mouth and buttoned his polo shirt. _

"_That's one of the joys of NOT working for the Ministry anymore 'Mione. I don't have to wear a tie if I don't wanna. Besides, I'm just meeting with Seamus and Lee this afternoon…running tests on new products and all that. And you know how Seamus is. If you wear good clothes around him, they'd better be fireproof." _

Ron had survived the war, five years as an auror, and countless attempts on his life because of his friendship with Harry…and he died in a stupid work-related accident because some summer intern had turned off an alarm because the noise 'bothered' him.

Ron was only twenty-five. Hermione had thrown herself into helping George with the business and raising Rose and Hugo. She had help of course…her parents, the entire Weasley family, and Harry and Ginny.

At 34, she was well off on a personal level, and she spent her days organizing funds for excellent causes…but she was missing something. She rarely got to do any of her own research anymore, relying on her very capable secretaries more than she liked. She missed the feel of parchment in her hands.

That wasn't all she missed. There would always be a hole in her heart where Ron used to be…but she had grieved for him, and it wasn't bleeding anymore…it felt like an old scar…never exactly right, but it didn't hurt. She sighed and put the papers she was pretending to read down. The Weasleys were wonderful, and they kept her extremely busy…but they were comfortable with the notion of Hermione being a widow, and she wasn't sure that they (Molly especially) wouldn't see dating as a betrayal…come to think of it…Hermione couldn't help but see it as a betrayal. She still wore the simple wedding band he'd given her…it never left her finger.

She _had _to get it together. She tried to focus on the proposal from St. Mungo's. They wanted to do some research into new methods of diagnosing curses so that the curse breakers wouldn't have to be quite so elite. Whoever put the proposal together had added enough hard facts (curses coming in vs. available curse breakers vs. time) so that it was very clear that the hospital was going to have to do something about the case to curse breaker ratio, and quickly.

Hermione quickly added up the rest of the year's budget and looked over the remaining projects. They wouldn't be able to work the funds in until after the first of the year. She sat for a moment, thoughtfully playing with her quill. This was the slow season for projects. Everything was under control, and she wouldn't have the children home from Hogwarts until Christmas. Why not take on some of the research herself? This was a brilliant project, obviously headed by someone who knew their curses. She was the best researcher of the age and she hadn't even been in a library in a bloody month because she was always too busy with bits and bobs at the office. She called in her secretary. Things were about to change a bit around here.

**Draco:**

The office was comfortable rather than grand. Not surprising since Granger had been in Gryffindor. Her eyes widened a little when she saw him walk in, but she kept her face courteous, which was probably more than he deserved. The night he'd witnessed his damn Aunt carving 'mudblood' into her arm still rated among the worst nights of his life…and he'd had plenty of other nights when he'd endured the Cruciatus curse at the hands of others. He would have cheered when Molly Weasley killed the psychotic bitch if he'd been alone.

"Draco." Her voice was just slightly breathy…surprised, but not hostile. That made a nice change. "I didn't know you worked at St Mungo's."

He nodded pleasantly. "I had no idea you were working here until my supervisor mentioned it." He shrugged and looked around the room. "I haven't been in touch with much of anyone since the war ended. I don't even take the Daily Prophet anymore."

Hermione sighed. "I don't read it as often as I should…just too much to do…"

Draco nodded. This was getting too close to his own issues with using work to avoid everything else. "I was sorry to hear about Weasley." To his chagrin, he eyes filled with tears. Oh bloody hell.

**Hermione:**

Hermione felt that old familiar pain when someone mentioned Ron.

"Thank you." She found herself blinking back tears. "I appreciated the flowers you sent to the funeral." They'd had hundreds of arrangements (enough so that she was sick of the smell of flowers for years afterward) and she had no idea which of them had been his…but she had noticed his name when she'd sat down to write the thank you notes after the funeral. It was oddly comforting that someone who had actively disliked Ron when they were teens had come far enough to send flowers and a lovely note to his funeral.

The tear started running down her face again and she pulled out a package of tissue from the desk.

Draco was offering her his handkerchief, but she blotted her face with the tissue and waved it away. "No, I'm so sorry. I'm not usually like this anymore…it's just today is the anniversary…" She babbled a little, feeling that she owed him an explanation.

Draco's eyes closed for a moment.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I didn't mean to bring it up; it's just the first time we've met in person since…" He seemed to realize that it wasn't helping. "How are Rose and Hugo doing?"

**Draco:**

Of course it was the anniversary. He should have remembered that. He'd been there when they brought the bodies in. He'd just passed the apprentice stage, but he'd still volunteered to wheel Weasley down to the morgue. When word got out that one of the golden trio was dead…well people were curious, and even though he'd never been friendly with the Weasel King (in fact, even his relationship with Potter was better, the animosity between him and Weasley had never budged, even after the war) he'd felt like he owed it to him, and to his wife, to make sure he was treated with the proper respect.

It had been Draco's Patronus that had alerted Potter, while the hospital was still trying to reach Granger…Hermione, Weasley's wife. He hoped that Potter had been able to be the one to break it to her…but he'd never had the nerve to ask.

So he asked the first thing he could think of to change the subject. Kids…everyone like talking about their kids. Granger was a good mother, he'd heard a lot about her from his son over the years.

Scorpius didn't mention Rose as much anymore, but the two of them seemed to get on better than he and Granger had at least.

She patted her face again and smiled a little. "The kids are doing great. Rose is stressing a little about her Owls, but George keeps sending her practical jokes…" She shook her head. "I would have killed him by now if it were me, but she seems amused by them. Hugo on the other hand doesn't think about much other than Quidditch…between Harry, Ginny, and George, I can't imagine why…"

Draco laughed. "Boys will be boys. Be glad he's still in the Quidditch phase…after that comes the 'girls' phase quickly followed by the 'I don't talk to my parents' phase."

She chuckled. "How is Scorpius doing?"

Draco shrugged. "Top grades in his class, plays chaser on the Slytherin team, and he's joined DA…though I think there might be a girl involved in that decision. He's a good kid, but he's too serious."

Hermione sighed and threw the tissue away.

"Well, I think you're right about the curse breakers needing an easier way to do their job." She picked up the sheaf of paper. "Do you have any idea why the incidents of curses have gone up so much?"

He nodded. "I have a theory. I think that before the war most people used some pretty standard curses…they didn't take the time to make up their own. Since the war ended, a lot of witches and wizards have made up these specialized curses and some of them are people who didn't need to be making up their own spells in the first place. Those are some of the worst ones, stuff that the accidental magic people can't handle and the originator of the curse can't give us much information on exactly what they did… " He shook his head when he thought about some of those cases…

"But there are also a lot of highly qualified people who are doing it, and their curses work." He shrugged. "Voldemort's dead, most of the Death Eaters are in Azkaban…but people haven't forgotten. I think that's where a lot of these secret curses come from. People want to have a weapon to use in case there's ever another war, and they certainly don't trust the Ministry to protect them anymore…not after half of them were rounded up and had their wands taken."

She was smiling.

He realized that even with her eyes still a little red from crying, that Hermione was still a lovely woman. He was startled that he noticed at all. After a short stint of skirt chasing before he apprenticed as a healer, he'd settled down with Astoria. He'd tried a few relationships after the divorce…he'd even tried a few one night stands…but he didn't want to feel, and so he'd avoided it for…had it really been years since he'd noticed a beautiful woman? Since he'd admired someone's creamy skin, or hair? He'd always appreciated beauty before…but he'd driven himself nearly into the ground with work for the past three years especially…after Astoria re-married.

He wasn't sure she'd noticed his stare, but he was sure she noticed the time lapse.

The funny thing was that she cleared her throat and looked down…like maybe Miss Granger had been thinking something she shouldn't have.

He considered this…and decided he like the idea more than he should. _Easy._ He told himself. "_She was probably just thinking that you are little less of a prat now…if you are lucky. _

Hermione cleared her throat and conjured herself a glass of water.

"The foundation can help fund the project, but not until after the first of the year. I assume you'll want to head it."

Draco nodded. He was a bit disappointed actually; he was hoping to have something done by the end of the year. The idea of leaving St. Mungo's for someplace quiet where everything wasn't life and death was taking root. He wanted nothing more than to live in some small community, treat sore throats and colds, and continue his research work on the side.

Granger caught his eye. "The foundation can't fund the work until after the first of the year, but I have freed up my schedule to assist in the research."

His eyes widened. She gave him a sheepish grin. "It's been too long since I got to really get my hands dirty, and this is exactly the kind of research I'm most qualified to do. So if you don't mind my help, you and I can work together between now and the Christmas break. If nothing else, we'll have a firm groundwork ready once we have the funds to assemble a team of researchers."

Draco could feel the tension ebbing. This was going to work. "When do we start?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Hermione: **

She was sitting with her best friend and his adorable wife after another amazing supper. Harry looked more than content. "My love, if I ever forget to tell you how wonderful you are, please feel free to hex me."

Ginny slapped at Harry's arm playfully. "Silly man. You only love me for my cooking." She giggled as he dragged her into his lap and kissed her passionately, but very gently. She was only four months along, but he was always very careful with her when she was pregnant. Hermione knew her eyes looked sad when she glanced over, but she covered quickly.

"You'll never guess who walked into my office today."

Harry grinned at her. She was less weepy this year. She knew that he'd notice, just like he and Ginny just happened to invite her over for dinner every year on the anniversary of Ron's death. It was just that this year, it was a bit harder to be in the same room with them for some reason.

Ginny was the one to answer. "Who was it?"

She raised a brow. "Draco Malfoy."

Harry sat up straighter. He hadn't seen Malfoy except in passing for years…his kid was a pretty decent chaser and played against James and Hugo in Gryffindor. Albus wasn't playing yet…he was an alternate seeker.

"What did he want?" He sounded a little rude. "I mean, I know he isn't exactly throwing his support behind SPEW."

Hermione laughed a little. "Actually, I knew he'd become a healer, but he's one of the curse-breakers." Harry raised a brow…the curse-breakers were the best…aurors ended up using them more than most, but he'd been extremely lucky so far. Hermione continued, laying out the project that he wanted the foundation to fund.

"Do you really think you can find a diagnostic technique before Christmas?"

Hermione shrugged. "If not, we'll try again with the January budget. Finding a quick way to diagnose the type of curse would save hundreds of lives a year…"

Ginny flicked her wand to clear the table, much to Kreature's disapproval. Hermione had hammered through a bill that allowed any house elf to petition for freedom if they chose to, but most of them were highly insulted by the idea.

Haggard had eventually found a way to explain it. "Ye see, they don' look at it like enslavement. They look at it like we're the pur fools that canna take care of ourselves. Like we're the pets Hermione." She still wasn't sure that she believed it, but the Dobby Laws were on the books, so any elf that wanted freedom was able to take it. To her knowledge only three or four elves had.

Kreature was training a younger elf to look after the Potters, and he had even offered to find Hermione an elf for her family if she wanted it. She politely refused, but she was old enough now to see it as the mark of affection that it was. She was sure that part of his willingness came from the fact that Ron's family was pure blooded. She didn't sigh. Some things didn't change. But so many attitudes had; she was grateful.

Ginny changed the subject. "James wrote and begged me to ask Rose not to print out any more study schedules for him. He claims that she's not giving him enough time for Quidditch."

Hermione laughed. "He'll just have to deal with that himself. Once Rose gets going…"

Harry laughed too. "I think I feel just a smattering of sympathy for my son."

Hermione's eyes were drawn to Ginny's belly…she was just beginning to show. "Do you know what this one is going to be?"

Ginny laughed. "I didn't ask. We'll find out the old fashioned way this time. I still have plenty of baby stuff from the last three."

Hermione laughed. "Yes, I suppose so. Have you thought about names?"

Ginny nodded. "Fredrick Remus if it's a boy…." She looked over at Harry and he touched her hand.

Harry nodded. "And we're going to go with Hermione Minerva if she's a girl."

Hermione felt the tears prick her eyes again. "Oh Harry…Ginny…you don't have to do that!"

Ginny took her hand. "We want to name our children after people we love and admire…and you top the list." She hugged her tightly.

Hermione went home to her empty flat after dinner. She'd sent owls to Rose and Hugo this morning telling them how much she loved them, and there were two short responses. They might not even remember that today was the day…she sent them owls often enough. She had an e-mail from her mum, checking up on her from Australia (they'd never moved back to England after the war). She assured her mother she was doing well, and then, with nothing else to do, she started making lists of books and resources for the upcoming project.

**Draco:**

Draco walked into Justin's office with just a hint of a swagger in his step. He was feeling more like himself than he had in years.

Justin noticed the difference. "Hmm…Good weekend?" His smile was suggestive, but Draco ignored him.

"Excellent weekend. We got the funding…well, we'll get it in January if we don't figure out something before then. Granger is going to help with the research herself."

Justin raised his brows. "Jeez Draco, how did you convince her to do that?" His tone was still suggestive, and it was bugging Draco.

"She volunteered. She immediately saw that it would be useful to the entire wizarding world. She always _was_ the brightest witch of our age."

Justin laughed. "I'm just giving you grief. But really, that self-satisfied smirk on your face is going to make more people than just me think you got laid this weekend."

Draco snorted. "Life isn't about shagging." Justin was a fairly successful seducer of women.

The look his friend gave him was doubtful. "Do you even _remember_ when the girls called you the 'Sex God of Slytherin?"

Draco was startled into a laugh. "You know that Parkinson started that, right? It was just another way for her to show she had the best of everything…I swear I think she really wanted Ginny Weasley…she was obsessed with her in school. "

Justin laughed but refused to get involved with _that_ discussion. "Draco…you haven't been the same person since Astoria left. It's like you've had your own personal dementor sitting on your shoulder except when Scorpius is around. I'm just saying it's nice to see a little of the real you peeking out. And if Hermione Granger is the reason for it…"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Granger-Weasley. Leave her out of this. She's still grieving."

Justin's brows contracted. "It's been how many years…?"

Draco shrugged. "Doesn't matter how many years it's been. All that matters is that Granger is the kind of woman who is still in love with her husband, even though he isn't here to love her back." Unlike his wife, who had fallen in love with someone else's husband and moved to France. Loyalty was a highly underrated quality in a woman.

Justin sighed, admitting defeat, for now.

Draco finally got to the point of coming to the office. "I'll be basically out of commission from now until the end of the project."

Justin sighed. "I knew that was coming. Can you at least take a few cases a week?"

Draco gave him a look. "I can't do this properly unless I can focus on it. And you know how I am when people are sick…but I can help more people by doing this. But I need you to find a way to cover for my absence…get some of apprentices in here to help with the mundane tasks."

Justin sighed. "Yeah, because a bunch of wet-behind-the-ears babies are going to replace the best curse-breaker St Mungo's has ever had." He sighed. "I'll figure something out. Just hurry back. It takes a real gift to figure out how these curses work. Most people just don't have it."

Draco gave a little cocky half-smile. "Which is why we're doing this in the first place."

**I'm already working on Chapter Three…but I work much faster with reviews. ; ) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Draco:**

He tugged at the line of his robes, pleased with the fit. He didn't bother with wizarding robes much anymore, preferring Muggle scrubs at the hospital. Many of the other medi-witches and healers did as well. He preferred anonymity in his life. Blending in at the hospital was much better than the alternative.

These particular robes must have been a gift from his parents. They were black, but well cut, and he'd put more muscle on in the shoulders and chest since they'd been fitted, but not so much that they were too tight. He thought best when he was moving, and often spent hours swimming when his mind was uneasy about work or other things. He adjusted his white dress shirt and added a small stick pin to his silver tie. He had no clue where he and Granger might end up in the course of their research, but he wanted to be well-dressed just in case.

He was fifteen minutes early and was waiting with coffee when she apparated into the staff area. She smiled and took the coffee as he led her to his office. "I'll just nab us some supplies…"

Justin was waiting. Draco gave him a warning look. Finchley could look downright mischievous when he had the chance. The bastard walked right up to her. "Hermione." He took her hands and kissed her cheek as she walked in. Draco rolled his eyes as he collected quills and parchment. "It's been too long."

She was far from being flustered. She gave Justin's hands a friendly squeeze and dropped them after exactly the proper amount of time. Draco couldn't hide his smirk at Justin's slightly disappointed face. He had the supplies together in record time.

Justin walked them to the St Mungo's medical library, all the while making light small talk. "And of course, if you _need_ anything…" Nope, that was it. Justin needed to back off before he hexed him. Draco sent his boss a decidedly unfriendly look. Justin took the hint and walked away.

Hermione sat down and pulled out sheaves of parchment. Draco eyed her warily before sitting down. "I'm sorry about that."

She looked up at him, confused.

"About what?"

He raised his eyebrow. "You didn't notice? Justin seemed rather…friendly."

She took a long drink of her coffee and shrugged. "It's part of dealing with the charity. I don't take any of that sort of attention personally."

Draco laughed. She cocked her head to the side. "I'm not sure about other people…but Justin is a friend of mine…well for lack of a better term…" He shook his head, not willing to describe the odd relationship between him and his boss. Then he continued. "But trust me, Justin's interest had nothing at all to do with the Phoenix Foundation, and everything to do with the fact that you are…" He realized he was about half an inch too close to her as he spoke, and that he was flirting with her himself. That hadn't been his intention. He needed to get this project off the ground, not spend his time flirting with a lovely woman.

**Hermione: **

She was a little shocked. She was expecting a cool but civil working environment. The coffee had been a nice gesture, and it indicated that he really was pleased to have her help on the project…just for her skills, which made a nice change. She didn't expect any warmth from Draco Malfoy.

But his cool silver eyes were remarkably warm when he'd given his boss that look. Oh she'd caught that…it was odd, but she just assumed he wanted Justin to stop flirting so they could get to work. From the few times she'd seen Justin since Hogwarts, she was fairly certain he hadn't stopped flirting since third year…maybe not even to sleep. He still had an air of pompous self-satisfaction that she found a little grating, so, despite the fact that he was working hard to be charming, she was glad when Draco's look scared him off. She was looking forward to diving into the project.

She wasn't sure what adjective Draco had been thinking of when he left his final sentence hanging…but it sounded complementary. She took a deep breath to settle her nerves, which were suddenly a problem, and smiled brightly at him. "Where do we begin?"

He waved his wand and summoned a stack of reference books.

"I thought we might start by going over a few of the existing diagnostic spells. None of them are as…complicated as curse-breaking, but it's a place to start."

She nodded happily and dove in. So much new information…she was like a kid in a candy store.

The next thing she knew, Draco was touching her arm. She looked up, startled. "Lunch?"

She blinked and almost rubbed her eyes, but caught herself. She didn't wear eye-makeup as often now, and sometimes forgot when she did bother to make the effort. "Is it lunchtime already?" He nodded. "It's half past one actually. We almost missed it."

He turned to a small, apparently elderly elf. "I'll take the roast beef sandwich Milly…with another coffee if you don't mind."

The elf put a hand on her hip. "The healer will need more than that! And what for the lady?"

Hermione didn't want to be a bother, and she liked roast. "I'll have the same…can I have cheese on mine?"

The elf nodded. "Milly will bring you a fruit platter as well." She glared at Draco, who was quite used to it. "And more coffee…"

Hermione raised a brow at him. He shrugged. "Milly takes care of the healers…and she takes her job seriously. She's convinced we'd all kill ourselves within a month if she ever left."

The little elf popped back with a loud crack, levitating a large tray behind her.

"Milly knows that the healer would never survive." Hermione laughed. She'd never met an elf with such a caustic sense of humor. The little elf examined her briefly. "And the lady is just as bad. If Milly hadn't come in, would either of you managed to eat today?"

She caught Draco's eye. "I'm sure I would have Milly, but it's very sweet of you to bring us lunch…"

The little elf patted Hermione on the finger. "Milly knows that the lady is here to help the healer…who works too many hours…" The elf went back to glaring at Draco. "If that is all for now?"

Draco cleared his throat. "Thank you again Milly."

She flicked her wand at the table and her notes were moved to the side in neat stacks. Draco did the same. The platter held a carafe of coffee, another of soup, the fruit platter, a frosted jug of pumpkin juice, large sandwiches overflowing with thinly sliced roast beef, and two individual pies. Hermione thought they might be mixed berry, from the smell. She found out she was suddenly ravenous.

Draco poured himself some soup, and offered her a bowl. She took that too, and made quick work of the bounty before her.

They didn't speak much whole they were eating, both a bit too focused on filling the empty places in their bellies. Hermione groaned as she took a bite of the pie.

"I can't eat another bite." She sighed. It was delicious.

Draco laughed. "It is good." He stretched. "I'm going for a bit of a walk in the sun before I get back to it. We have some lovely grounds…" He smiled lightly. "Care to join me?"

She was a bit stiff, and she knew that the walk would help her digest the food. "Thank you."

She looked at the remains of the meal, but Draco cleared the table with a lazy gesture.

"C'mon. I'll show you the healer's garden."

**Draco:**

They walked in the sunshine for a few minutes without saying a word. Eventually, Hermione must have realized that they were supposed to be in downtown Muggle London.

"I've seen some amazing things…but this…"

Draco smiled, pleased. The gardens _were_ rather amazing.

"Actually, my great-great grandfather designed the whole building, including gardens. London at the turn of the century was a dirty, noisy place, and he decided that the healers would need a place to rest." He shrugged. "Constantine Malfoy actually designed a lot of the wizarding buildings built during his time. He's the one who put that great gaudy dome on Gringotts."

Hermione chuckled. "I'm so glad he didn't make it out of stone…that would have made riding a dragon through it even harder."

He'd heard that story of course, everyone had. But she looked sad and he wasn't sure of the cause. "The war ended, Thank God."

She gave him a funny look.

"Your family lost a lot."

He nodded absently. "The first years after the war were the worst. My father went back to Azkaban for a while, mother wouldn't leave the house, and of course we got death threats seven days a week back then." He shrugged. "You get used to it. The ministry seized most of the available gold and relics in my father's account…I'm still trying to get some of the family heirlooms back…things the Ministry shouldn't have taken, even for fines. They weren't very careful about following the letter of the law back then, and too many people were looking for punishment rather than justice."

He sighed, wondering why he was telling her this. "I sold off a few small properties and we made it through. McGonagall wrote me a letter of recommendation and I was taken as an apprentice healer, and the rest is history." He shrugged. "Astoria's father was my lawyer for the land deals, and her mother was too old fashioned to really understand how low the family name had fallen…I think she pushed Astoria to 'acquire' the Malfoy heir, not realizing how little I'd inherited beyond a family name that drew fire everywhere I went, and a lot of scars."

He rubbed the place where the dark mark had once been. _It's not there anymore. I'm not that person anymore, and no one can ever make me be him again. _

He plucked an apple as they walked under one of the fruit trees, and raised a brow to inquire if she wanted one. She shook her head.

"So what about you?"

She shrugged. "Things were easy after the war of course. I didn't want to be an auror, but I did research for Ron and Harry while they helped mop up the last of the Death Eaters. Ron and I got married, and less than a year later we had Rose. I didn't mind staying home with her and Hugo while they were little. George offered Ron a partnership at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes because with shops in Diagon Alley and Hogsmead he couldn't handle it alone. You know how Ron was…" she stopped for a second, then continued. "He was bored once the action slowed down at the Ministry, and he was very nearly a political liability for Harry, who was rising through the ranks at an alarming speed…" She shook her head and a sleek curl bounced out of her updo and caressed her cheek.

"Ron was great at the joke shop. He was never as much of a prankster as Fred and George, but he liked the business, like the customers, and he was good at spotting the products that would make a profit."

She sighed. "Seamus and Lee were working on a prototype of something, so they went into a testing room. George had installed vents to make sure that an accident like that couldn't happen, including a failsafe system on the outside in case the vents ever stuck."

She swallowed. "George had hired a bunch of interns. One of them had decided that the failsafe alarm was annoying, it went off a lot when there was no real threat, but George wanted it sensitive. He turned it off." She looked down at her feet as they walked. "It was much too late when the intern found them. He didn't say a word to anyone at the office, just took them immediately to St Mungo's. Someone at the hospital tipped off Harry, and he came to tell me."

Draco let out a sigh of relief. She caught that, and narrowed her eyes. "It was you, wasn't it?"

He looked down. "The boy who brought them in was incoherent at first, but I recognized them." He did not look in her eyes. "I knew the moment people realized who it was…one of the golden trio…we'd have a problem…with gawkers, with the press." He glanced at her but she wasn't crying. "I didn't want you to find out from someone working the desk who didn't give a damn…so I sent a patronis to Potter. He never mentioned if he got to you in time or not…of course, I'm just assuming that he recognized my voice. He might not even know who sent it."

Hermione walked for a long time without saying anything. "Thank you. It meant a lot that Harry was there…I didn't take it well."

"I was glad to be of some small help." He'd gone home and hugged his family that night. When Astoria had reacted coolly, he'd had his first twinge of regret in marrying her. It wasn't the last. When she started drifting away from him, he'd just buried himself in work, in spending time with his son. Eventually, he'd caught her with the French fellow…

She looked up at him suddenly, chasing away his morose thoughts. "What's your patronis?"

He smiled. "It was a snake when I first learned the spell, the year after the war. Kingsley was pretty good about sending someone out every time the mansion was attacked, and we had one incident where someone tried to use fiend fire…well anyway, he said I should learn the spell. But after Scorpius was born, my patronis changed."

She grinned at him. "What is it now?"

He shrugged. "It's a dragon." Her brows went up to her hairline. "I'm kind of an over-protective father."

She grinned at him.

"Are you ready to go back?"

**Hermione: **

She snaked her hand around a tottering stack of parchment and snagged her coffee cup, without slowing the speed of her notes. There was nothing – nothing- in these books that was anything close to what they needed for the curse-breaking diagnostic tool. Draco shut his book.

"I think we've been through the entire library in the last two weeks."

She looked up, startled. Had it been two weeks already?

She checked her watch. 11:26 p.m.

"Draco, do you have any idea of the time?"

He hadn't noticed her checking her watch. "I'm sure it's after eight…Damn."

She sighed as he rubbed his eyes and grinned at him as she started putting her things away. "Midnight getting home again…." If Draco still had his wife she would be sure he was having an affair about now. They'd been midnight or later getting home all week. She suddenly realized she had no idea what day it was. St Mungo's was a hospital, so there were no empty desks to reveal the days that were supposed to be weekends.

"What day is it?"

Draco looked confused and tapped a scrap of parchment with his wand. "October 23rd. It says here that it's a Saturday…"

She laughed as they walked to the Apparation Point. "So…tomorrow is a Sunday? Should we take it off, come back in with batteries re-charged Monday…?"

He nodded. "I'll see you Monday then…"

**Draco:**

He just needed a few of the reference books…it was supposed to be in and out, but at ten a.m. he was still at the table where they'd been working and Milly was trying to force a proper breakfast down his throat.

"Healer, Milly insists…what good will you be on the project if you pass out from not eating?"

He mock-glared at the bossy little elf. She'd taken a shine to him not long after he'd apprenticed. She was right…he probably would have killed himself in that first year if she hadn't kept nagging him to eat and sleep. He sighed in defeat. "Something light Milly, and…"

The elf rolled her eyes. "And coffee healer, yes Milly knows…the healer must have coffee for blood by this time because it's all he ever drinks. Milly would like to humbly beg the healer to try a liquid the rest of us know as water…it's been said that it holds amazing properties…"

He laughed. "Ah Milly, you wouldn't know humble if it bit your ear." He reached down and took her small withered hand. "I'll take water with my coffee as well, though I do drink water when I'm away from here…I'll admit I don't drink enough at work. Thank you for reminding me."

The elf waggled her ears, but gave no other sign of pleasure. "Healer should know better."

He sighed. "Yes I should."

The elf turned as a large stack of books floated into the room, followed by a woman who was considerably shorter than the stack, and was reading a rather large dusty book. She obviously hadn't noticed them yet. The elf looked at him and rolled her eyes. "Healer and the Lady are both going to EAT."

Hermione looked up at Draco who was moving his notes so she'd have room at the table. She frowned. "I thought we were taking the day off?"

He smirked at her. "Yes…I thought so too. I came to grab a few books this morning, and just never left."

He eyed the books as they slid to the table. "What have you been up to?"

She grinned. "Shopping."

He raised a blond eyebrow. "I see."

She laughed. "Well, I was going shopping. I need new dress robes…I have a ton of events I'll have to go to after Thanksgiving…but I stopped at the bookstore first…"

He laughed. She dimpled. "I swear I'm just dropping them off."

He pointed to the open book while he doubled over. Oh God…his sides hurt. He was actually wiping tears from his eyes by the time he sat up.

"Join me for breakfast? Then you can resume shopping."

She sat down. "I'm supposed to meet Harry and Ginny at the Leaky Cauldron for lunch at one. Would you like to come?" He was absolutely shocked at the next words that came out of his mouth.

"I'd be delighted."

**This is moving more slowly than I anticipated, but I'm enjoying the whole trip…Please Review. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to everyone who has added this to their 'Story Alerts' and/or to their 'Favorite Stories'. That is so flattering! I really could do with a few more reviews (Please?)…but right now I'm as happy as a chipmunk in a walnut shop. **

**Chapter Four**

**Hermione:**

She excused herself for a moment. She thought about the day Hugo was born, picturing his little blue eyes and easily produced a patronus. "Harry, Ginny, I'm bringing Draco with me to lunch…please be nice."

Her otter grinned back at her in a reassuring way, and then swam away invisibly on currents in the air.

She turned and squeaked a little. Draco was standing right behind her, leaning on the door, with a half-amused smile on his face. "Was it really necessary to tell me and Potter we'd have to play nice at lunch?"

Hermione sniffed. "No, I think the two of you would probably do just fine…but Ginny is pregnant again, and there's no telling what she might say or do if I don't give her proper warning…just because old habits die hard."

He chuckled, not seeming overly offended. "If I'm never on the receiving end of another one of her curses, it will be too soon. She had one that turned your entire face into a mess of flying bat things…"

Hermione laughed.

Draco looked a little…sad. "You didn't have to invite me to lunch."

She smiled at him. "I know. I invited you because I wanted to…besides, it won't hurt to have back up."

He cocked his head to one side… "Why would you need back-up to have lunch with your best friends who just happen to be your in-laws? Are we planning something nefarious?" The sparkle was back in his eye. The one that said that, yes, he might be up for something just a little disreputable…

She grinned back at him. "Would we do that?" Hmm…would she? She took a deep breath. "No really, it's just because they are revoltingly cute when Ginny is pregnant…I mean they're cute all the time, but it's worse…"

He nodded. "It's worse this time?"

She nodded. "Yeah.

He nodded like he understood where she was coming from. Happy couples were a bit hard to take when you weren't part of one.

"Milly brought in breakfast…and you know she'll scold if we don't eat."

Hermione laughed. "It's a good thing she does. I get so wrapped up in a project that I forget."

He put his hand on the small of her back as they reentered the library. It felt very…natural. Easy…like he should have had his hand there the entire time. That thought made her nervous so she picked up her discarded book. "I'll set my wand as an alarm, so we don't forget to apperate in time for lunch." He nodded and took a long drink of his coffee, but his eyes never left her.

**Draco: **

Had he lost his freaking mind? If a photographer saw him having lunch with the remaining two-thirds of the Golden Trio there was no telling what the headlines would read…

Not that eating with Potter and his red-headed wife held any allure to begin with.

_But taking Hermione out did. _

No. After all this time. Just…no. There was no way that out of all the witches in the entire country, the one he decided to pine for would be one who would never really let him into her life. Surely he had more sense than that.

Didn't he?

**Hermione:**

Hermione pretended to take notes while she gathered her flustered thoughts. It was just that she'd been alone too long. It made every touch more than it should be. He was just being friendly, courteous…warm…

She did not sigh. He'd notice that. She pretended to read. She even turned a page.

What the hell was she thinking? Draco had changed, yes…and it was all for the better. She could only find traces of the boy she'd known in school, and most of them were the small traits that she'd noted, even back then, that were admirable. He was still driven, passionate, and good looking…well, more than good looking really…

She jumped when her wand went off. It was time to go to lunch. She looked into his silvery eyes and hoped it would be more fun than a death-day party…but there was no way she could guarantee that.

**Draco:**

He nursed his butterbeer as Harry took most of the load of conversation off of him. They were discussing the Chudley Cannons phenomenal performance in the Quidditch cup. Hermione was smiling to see everyone getting on so well, and he played his part, pointing out that the Cannons had done well since they invested in a decent farm team.

"It's all about bringing young players up slowly, so they reach their potential. The Cannons used to be the worst team in the league, before Krum took over as head coach. I always thought his head was full of sawdust…" Draco remembered suddenly that Krum had taken Hermione to the Yule ball that year. He wasn't sure what she saw on his face, but Ginny saved him.

"Well, in everything but his taste in dates, he _was_ pretty thick…not unintelligent, but just…focused."

Harry grinned and took a pull at his butterbeer. "I used to love watching him fly though. Never did get to play against him while he was visiting Hogwarts…wish we'd managed a few games of Quidditch…"

Draco sighed and nodded. That would have been fun. He hadn't played in ages.

Harry eyed him suddenly.

"Do you know what we should do?"

Draco looked at Potter warily. There was a slightly manic gleam in his eye.

"What?"

"Let's put together an amateur Quidditch league."

Draco felt his eyes light up. "That would be brilliant."

Ginny groaned and slapped Potter's arm. "That's not fair Harry! Why didn't you have this idea years ago…I won't be able to play until the baby gets here…"

Potter kissed his wife, and Draco knew exactly what Hermione meant about having backup. Those two could rip the heart out of a single man. They wouldn't mean to of course, but just watching them stirred something in Draco that he hadn't felt in years.

He looked over at Hermione, and saw the tightness in her hands as she hid them under the table. He reached for one and covered it with his. He immediately felt better…it was like eating chocolate when faced with a dementor. He felt his cheek twitch and found her looking back at him.

Potter broke off the kiss and he and his wife continued like they hadn't just made everyone in the room stare at their unwarranted PDA. Draco wasn't sure what to do with his hand, but he wasn't about to snatch it back like some kid caught holding his girlfriend's hand.

**Hermione: **

She and Ginny walked into _Patill and Patill's _after lunch. They'd left Draco and Harry discussing the specifics of the Quidditch league in the Leakey Cauldron. Harry was sure that he could put together several teams just at the Ministry, and Draco thought he could get at least one team from St Mungo's.

Ginny cornered her at a display of silver dress robes. "Hermione! Don't you dare deny it…you were holding his hand under the table!" Ginny threw back her red head and laughed delightedly.

Hermione shrugged. "He put his hand over mine. It was more of a comforting gesture…"

She looked at her friend. "Did you know that Draco was the one who alerted Harry the day that Ron died…?"

Ginny's eyes went wide. That was the best thing about Ginny. She couldn't lie if she wanted to.

"Nooo. Harry never said who'd sent the patronus."

Hermione examined the robes as she started looking for some in her size.

Ginny wasn't one to give up that easily. "So what's going on between the two of you?"

Hermione sighed. She could tell that this was going to be a fun trip.

"Nothing is going on. We've been spending a lot of time together…he works like I do, every waking moment. We've talked a few times…took a walk in the sunshine once." She closed her eyes and remembered exactly how he'd looked, standing in the sun. There was nothing cold about that Draco…he was like sunshine. Sometimes…he was several degrees hotter than plain old sunshine.

Ginny pulled her attention back. "So why did he put his hand on yours?"

For such a perceptive person, Ginny could really be thick.

"Ginny…I love how happy you and Harry are together…you know that, right?" Ginny nodded, still not really understanding.

"But sometimes, it's just hard to see you together, and remember…"

Ginny's eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry Hermione!"

She reached out and grabbed Ginny's hand. "Don't be sorry. This is a good thing. I think it means that I'm healing, at least a bit."

She looked at Ginny to see if she disapproved, to see if her best friend would think she was a selfish banshee for wanting something more in her life.

Ginny pulled her into a hug. "I'm glad 'Mione. Ron wouldn't want you to be alone forever you know. All these years, you just slogged through work, did for the kids, and you never even looked at another man. Harry and I kept closer watch on you than you knew, especially at first. We were afraid…" Ginny straightened her shoulders. "Well, never mind that now. You needed to heal at your own pace, and Harry will be over the moon to see that you're beginning to."

Hermione nodded.

She did feel the need to explain one last time. "There really isn't anything going on between me and Draco. I think we've become friends…we certainly share a goal, and we both like reaching our goals." She looked down and blushed. "He's so different from the slimy git we knew at Hogwarts."

Ginny nodded, but wisely didn't say anything else about it. Hermione was always like that. She had to figure things out on her own. But it was good to see her looking more like…her. She'd been shambling around like the living dead for far too long.

She couldn't wait to tell Harry. They'd both feared for Hermione's life when she lost Ron. She acted like she was literally trying to work herself to death. Harry would be glad to know that she was finally healing.

**Draco: **

He ordered another round of butterbeer and ignored the look Harry was giving him until the server brought the beverages.

"Alright Potter, spit it out. You look like you swallowed Longbottom's toad."

Harry chuckled. "Trevor is still alive and kicking, last I heard. I was wondering why you were holding Hermione's hand under the table."

Draco sighed. Hiding things from an auror, even one who was intent on snogging his wife, was probably doomed to failure.

"Something upset her a bit, and I put my hand on hers, end of story."

He opened his butterbeer with his wand.

Harry nodded to himself. "Allright then. I'm her friend, not her keeper, and Merlin knows she doesn't accept sympathy from just anyone."

Draco felt Harry's eyes on him, but he didn't flinch.

"Just doing what I can."

Harry nodded. "Just like the day when Ron died?"

Draco flinched. Was that going to continue to bite him in the ass forever? No good deed ever went unpunished.

"You didn't recognize the patronus then?"

Harry shook his head. "Nor the voice. Sorry, I should have…but…"

Draco shrugged. "No, there's no real reason you should have. Kingsley showed me the charm after the fiend fire incident at the manor." Potter nodded, he had been among the aurors that responded. "Things were finally on the right track. I was married, had Scorp, and I was done with my apprenticeship. Then this sandy haired kid apparated into St Mungo's as I was leaving for the day. I rushed over, but they were all dead…rigor mortis had set in. When I realized it was Weasley, I took him down to the morgue myself…I didn't want her to have to see the pictures in the paper, if the Daily Prophet found out… And then I realized that Belinda Bulstrode was on desk duty that evening…she 's Millicent's sister and she hated Hermione in school; that was no way to find out that her husband was dead…so I sent my patronus."

Draco took a long pull of butterbeer. "She told me that you got to her first. I'm sorry if I wasn't very gentle with breaking it to you…I just wanted you to get to her, fast."

**Harry: **

They were about twelve rounds in when Draco gave up that secret. He was too lean, he couldn't hold his liquor the way that Harry could. Harry had a wife at home who stuffed him at every occasion. Draco looked like Hermione…lean and slightly neglected. It hurt his hear to see that on her, and he found, much to his surprise, that he felt much the same way about Draco.

He'd wondered off and on for years who might have sent that patronus to his office that afternoon.

_A miniature dragon had burst into the room. "Potter! Get to Granger quickly. Weasley is dead, at the morgue of St. Mungo's. Get to her before she finds out!" _It was no wonder he hadn't recognized the frantic voice. It didn't sound anything like the cool, sneering Malfoy he was accustomed to. He'd know it must have been someone from school, and he'd asked questions over the years, but he hadn't gotten an answer…until today.

Harry quickly buried the memory of Hermione's face s she found out Rom was dead. She had…broken. There was only one word for it. And even when she finally managed to stop weeping, and pulled herself together a bit…she'd still been broken.

Harry turned back to the man who he'd decided to hate at the tender age of eleven.

"Whatever makes her happy again is fine with me. I'd literally kill to see her be more like herself. She's been walking around like we buried most of her when we buried Ron. Except lately…I've seen just a bit of the old Hermione peeking out."

Draco looked confused. Harry grimaced at himself. He might want to say these things again, later…when they weren't twelve rounds in. He grinned and turned the conversation back to Quidditch. If he was lucky, Draco and Hermione would hammer this out themselves and he wouldn't need to interfere.

**I like the idea of Draco and Harry sitting down and getting a Quidditch league together. Please, please, please review…with sugar and a cherry on top? **


	5. Chapter 5

**As promised, Chapter Five! (Five and Six are my favorites so far…you'll have to let me know if you agree with me…maybe in a review or something…).**

**Chapter Five:**

**Draco:**

Three weeks later Draco was staring bleary eyed at a hand-written grimore. He wasn't sure who she'd used the imperious curse on, but Hermione had talked the ministry into letting them reference some of the darkest 'forbidden texts' inside the Department of Mysteries.

Then again, her father-in-law was the Minister of Magic, so maybe she hadn't had to curse anyone directly.

Hermione looked up and smiled a little. "Your eyes are completely bloodshot."

He smirked back at her. "Yours too." He waved his wand. "Here we go…endless coffee cups courtesy of the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmead."

She tasted the coffee and practically purred. "Oh, that is heaven. Thank you."

He shot her a smile and tried to re-focus his eyes, but they wouldn't cooperate. He pressed the heel of his hands into them, willing them to stop hurting.

Hermione was looking at him when he looked up.

"What?" He had a feeling that she was wondering something more…

"When did you manage to get back on terms with Rosemerta?"

He sighed. "Seventh year. I felt bad for having to use the Imperious Curse on her, so I helped her out with a few things…kept the Carrows and Greyback away from her as best I could…got her out of Hogsmead when things were looking bad."

Hermione smiled softly to herself, and he was struck, once again at how beautiful she really was. He stood up.

She blinked up at him. He smiled at her. "Let's put these away for tonight. Have you eaten since lunch?"

She blinked, unable to remember. She checked her watch.

"Ugg…it's already after ten again."

"Again. And I know you were at it before me this morning. And I was here at six thirty. C'mon. We'll apparate to my place and I'll make something."

She looked at him like he was speaking Ancient Greek. "What's the matter Granger…don't think I can cook?"

She laughed uneasily. "I can cook for myself."

He looked at her firmly. She'd lost weight over the past weeks, and she didn't need to. "But would you? I'm going to cook something once I get home anyway…you might as well eat some of it." He didn't even bother to argue with her, he just took her hand, flicked his wand to mark the books, and apparated.

Hermione was a little shocked. Not too shocked…the apartment was exactly what she would have expected from Malfoy; clean stark lines and cool elegance. But there were some warmer touches, here and there. The door to his study was open, and it was filled with comfy overstuffed furniture. He was doing something in the kitchen, and she followed the smell of food.

The kitchen was all marble countertops and stainless steel, with a beautiful island in the middle. "You could feed an army in this kitchen."

He grinned from the stove as he stirred something that smelled delicious in a wok. "I've never had an army in, but sometimes Scorpius has the Quidditch team over during the school holidays."

She chuckled. "Close enough."

Within moments they were sitting in the dining room, a glass of wine in one hand and forks in the other. Hermione sighed contentedly when she'd eaten ¾ of her portion. "I don't think I've eaten anything that good since the feasts at Hogwarts." Draco laughed. "Hunger really is the best spice." He picked up her plate as she protested.

"That's not fair…you cooked, I should at least do the dishes."

He flicked his wand and the kitchen started cleaning itself. "Self-cleaning charm. Worth EVERY penny."

**Draco:**

She laughed and it bounced off of his bare walls like music.

He leaned back with his glass of wine, knowing they were both tired, but not wanting this…whatever this was, to end. He refilled his glass then offered her another. She nodded absently.

"So, do you get this involved with all the projects for the foundation?"

She shook her head. Curls were escaping from the twist she wore her hair in during the day. He wondered how long it was. "Normally, I spend most of my time supervising the projects, and dealing with a few day to day details for the joke shop…George and Harry are kicking in so that I can have time off to do this."

Draco smirked. "Only you would consider this time off."

She rolled her eyes at him. He tried not to read too much into the camaraderie. "I like to stay busy…and there's always plenty to do, even with the kids at Hogwarts."

She looked at little sad. He poured a third glass of wine. "It's lonely without them." It wasn't a question.

She squared her shoulders. "Yes, but I'm a big girl. I'm good at dealing with things alone." He refilled her glass as well. She didn't even seem to notice.

"If we get this curse diagnostic done, I'll be able to get away from St. Mungo's." That came out like it was a secret.

She cocked her head to one side. "I thought you loved healing."

Her glass was half empty, so he summoned another bottle of wine and topped it off. "I love healing. I hate working at a hospital."

He continued. "I want to spend time making things better…big things, like the curse diagnostic spell. I feel like I'm trying to hold back the tide with a bucket at St. Mungo's."

He filled up his glass again. She nodded like she understood.

"Are you doing what you love…working with the foundation?" She took another long drink of wine and twisted a curl around her fingers; he noted that her hair was really coming undone. Curls were escaping everywhere.

"In a way, I love my work…but no. I'm good at setting up business plans, and giving out money…but I miss getting my hands dirty, doing real research, making potions…"

Draco gave her a cocky little half-grin 'Getting into duels…"

She ducked her head and smiled brilliantly. "I wouldn't say I missed that part exactly…" She drained her glass and he refilled it. "But I do miss the excitement sometimes…I don't do anything anymore that makes my heart race…"

He couldn't help himself. "You don't do _anything_ anymore that makes your heart race?" She didn't get the innuendo.

"Nope. Digging through the books at the Department of Mysteries is the most exciting thing I've done in ages."

"That's just not fair Hermione."

She nodded. "That's life."

He chuckled as he summoned another bottle of wine. "I was talking about you mentioning it to me."

She seemed confused. He opened the new bottle, topped off her glass and poured himself another.

"Why would…?"

He felt himself smiling. "Think about it…what do most people do (besides duel to the death) that would raise their heart rate?"

She blushed! He felt his heart lift. He'd actually gotten a blush out of her. Somewhere in his slightly inebriated state, he equated that with her seeing him…really seeing him, as a man. He was beginning to think she didn't see anyone as a man anymore.

She stammered and tried to get up, but he caught her hand. "I'm not propositioning you Hermione. Just pointing out that you might not want to mention that whole 'heart racing' thing to any single red-blooded men that you know. We tend to think of just one thing when a beautiful woman mentions she'd like to do something that would make her heart race."

She sat back down in the chair and picked up her glass again. "I thought all of the Slytherins bled green."

Once upon a time, she couldn't have teased him about that…but now he just laughed. "Nope…you have to watch the Slytherins too. Surely you've encountered enough single men to know this!"

She looked down into her wine thoughtfully. "No…I'm not sure I know any single men at the moment…well except you."

He took her hand (the one that was not holding the glass of wine) and placed a warm kiss on the back…opening his mouth just enough to blow slightly on her skin as he pulled reluctantly away.

Her eyes were wide. He spoke without thinking. "Thank you for that."

She didn't pull her hand away. "For what?"

"For noticing. Why is it that you only know married people?"

She gave him a little half-smile, and he poured them both fresh glasses of wine. "Well…there's the Weasleys. And all of them are married with kids."

He snorted. "I know…how do you keep up with all of them?"

She shook her head. "Truth? I have no idea who some of the distant cousins are." She giggled. "I'm the only child of two only children. It's a bit overwhelming sometimes. I love being around them, but I'm glad to get back to my own quiet little flat once it's over. "

"So you are surrounded by a loud, loving family…who don't seem to notice that you might need something more than what they can provide."

He refilled her glass, and summoned another bottle.

"When did you get so insightful?"

He looked at her lips and then forced his eyes to hers. "I'm a curse breaker Hermione. Figuring out people's motivations is the first step to finding a way to break the curse."

She stopped, mid-drink.

"What did you say?"

He glanced at the bottle…how many of them had they drank…he wasn't sure…

"You aren't that drunk I hope."

She made a shushing motion with her hands and clumsily summoned parchment and a quill. "Figuring out people's motivations…"

He watched as she scratched out his last sentence.

He waited until she was done.

"What was that?"

"It's important…something we're missing for our research…but my head is too light to really remember what that might be…hopefully tomorrow, I'll be able to think."

He started counting bottles and gave up, just raised his glass in a kind of toast. "Hopefully we won't have hangovers."

She tried three times and managed to summon a dusty bottle.

"Anti-hangover Philter. I happened to have one left at home…" She'd kept them for when she and Ron asked Molly to babysit for the night. She was sober enough to check the date. "Good. We just caught the expiration date."

There were other potions that she'd used on nights like that. And she was tipsy enough that she could admit, if only to herself, that she might have summoned an anti-pregnancy potion if she'd had any left. She'd thrown the lot away two summers ago when she was spring cleaning. There was no reason to think she'd need it.

She poured a few drops of the potion into his glass, and added a few to her own. Then she poured more wine because they needed something to drink it with. They chatted for a bit, drank several more glasses of wine….

Draco suggested that they move to the living room, and she managed to walk that far…

It was easy, once they were sitting on the couch, for his arm to slip around her, holding her to his chest. He was built like Harry…but Harry never made her feel this way.

He lit a fire when she shivered a bit, though if she were being honest with herself, it wasn't from the cold. He summoned a blanket from the other room and wrapped it around both of them. They sipped the wine and continued to mummer softly. One bottle was empty, then another…He was telling her about the first time he caught a pixie as a child when he leaned down and brushed her lips softly. He didn't deepen the kiss (though she suddenly wanted him to…). He just pressed his lips to her forehead and continued the story.

She felt warm, and loved, and protected…and very very sleepy.

**Draco: **

He wasn't sure how long he talked after she fell asleep on his chest, the hangover potion did absolutely nothing to sober him up. He hoped it worked because otherwise they were both going to be miserable in the morning.

He enjoyed the feeling of her snuggled close to him for a bit, but he frowned when he felt himself dozing off. He should go to bed. But what should he do with the woman snuggled against him. He didn't want to let her go. He quickly picked her up and managed to get them both to his bedroom without falling over. He pulled back the comforter with a flick of his wand and laid her on the bed.

He undressed thoughtlessly, stripping and pulling on his favorite pajama bottoms as he padded over to the bed. She didn't look comfortable in her jeans. He wondered if he was sober enough to transfigure them. He decided he wasn't, so he slipped them over her hips and found another pair of pajama pants (a pair with a drawstring waist) and he somehow managed to get them up and over her body. Pleased that she was as comfortable as he could make her, he slipped into the bed with a sigh and held her tightly. It was so nice to fall asleep with her pressed against his chest. He knew she was safe because he could hear her heart beating. That was the last thing he remembered until morning.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you to EVERYONE who has reviewed! They really, really make my day! **

**Chapter Six was actually the first thing I wrote in this story (yeah, I'll admit it…I wrote the smutty scene first) I'm beginning to think that my version of Draco needs to lay off the alcohol. But I had so much FUN with this….**

**Chapter Six**

**Hermione:**

She couldn't imagine where she was when she woke up. All she knew was that it wasn't her house, the man holding her had never held her before, and whoever he was, his bed smelled amazing. Floral…but somehow still masculine, with cedar and hyacinth…

She sat straight up and realized she wasn't really sober…

Malfoy snaked his arm back around her and muttered…"It's too early to get up Hermione…and you're letting in the cold air…"

She was dressed, thank God, but she had no idea what had happened. She snuggled back under the blankets with him, and he made a satisfied sound. She was wearing her own top and bra, but she didn't recognize the pants, and she strongly suspected they were his. He was bare-chested wearing only pajama pants. She supposed she should be thankful she wasn't wearing the top to those pjs…the mental image that went with that was a strong one and she closed her eyes for a second. If she'd done anything like that she was going to be pissed if she'd been too drunk to remember it.

She was nothing close to sober…and it was still dark outside. She sighed and snuggled deeper into his arms. Whatever had happened, happened. She just wished she could remember….at some point she drifted back to sleep.

**Draco:**

He woke up wound around her like a snake, his hands on her ribcage, his legs wrapped around hers, like he couldn't possibly get close enough. The moment he had that thought, he caught a fairly normal morning reaction…and he reluctantly slid away from her body. Not too far…she was warm and the morning was cold. But far enough away so that he could pretend he was a gentleman.

" Would you mind telling me how I happened to wake up in your bed this morning?"

Her tone wasn't accusatory, which was a nice start. But there was an undercurrent of panic to it. He pulled her into his arms and let her head rest on his chest…without thinking that it was an awfully cuddly gesture and might make her panic.

"Draco?" He couldn't help himself…that little panicked note in her voice was too cute. He kissed the top of her head again before he answered.

"What Mrs. Malfoy, don't you remember?"

"What?" She sat up and tried to get away…he wasn't having that.

He pulled her back into his arms. She just felt right there.

"I'm kidding. You and I don't need to drink together…we don't keep very good track of the bottles of wine… You fell asleep on me after we cuddled on the couch, and I was drunk…so I brought you to my bed, made you as comfortable as I could, and we slept." He shrugged his bare shoulders.

He had both arms wrapped around her and she had her head on his bare chest…nope…neither of them were sober yet.

"What time is it?"

He checked the clock. "Eight." He kept her from jumping up. "But it's a Saturday. We don't have to go into the Ministry today." They both knew that they normally worked weekends, but she let herself relax against his chest again. She turned her head and breathed in deeply, trying to figure out what it was that smelled so darn good.

His breath caught in his chest as he watched her _smelling him_. That should be weird. It should not be sexy. It should not look seductive. His body was reminding him that he had a very attractive visitor in his bed. His sheets smelled like her perfume, she was curled o his chest…

He sighed. As much as he would like to, he doubted a sober Hermione Granger would ever get into his bed willingly. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest as tightly as he could, and he snuggled back into the blankets. He was going to enjoy this while it lasted.

**Hermione: **

She noticed when his breathing changed. He had dark circles under his eyes, almost bluish purple, like he was healing from a black eye.

Milly the elf was right. He needed to rest. Well, she could use the day off, if it meant that he would sleep. She pulled the few remaining pins out of her hair and let it cascade down his chest. The sight of her hair spilling all over his pale skin made her catch her breath. She hadn't wanted anyone since Ron died…oh her body had missed Ron, but she hadn't wanted anyone else. Until now.

…..

She woke up when he took a deep breath and she felt his lips on her hair. She stretched and rolled over, but he caught her and pulled her into a spooning position as soon as she did. She had to grin. Draco Malfoy spoons. She would never have believed it when they were at Hogwarts together. His pale arms were muscled and the chest pressed against her was strong. She lifted his wrist and sniffed it. She heard him groan.

"Hermione…I cannot be held responsible for my actions if you do that again. Why do you keep sniffing me…and why the hell is it sexy?" She felt a thrill, a noticeable shiver as his warm breath touched her neck.

"I'm just trying to figure out what it is that you smell like…"

"Do I smell as good as you do?" His voice rumbled in her ear and did outrageous things to her body.

She turned and nuzzled his neck without thinking about it. Then her eyes popped open. "I'm sorry…" She sat up and tried to scoot off the bed, but he caught her, again. And he laughed.

"For what?" He tucked her head back into the crook of his neck like he enjoyed her being there.

"Um…I didn't mean to lead you on…"

He wrapped his arms around her tighter. "You aren't…sorry if I am, but I'm going to keep doing it. We need a day off…and I wouldn't mind spending the entire day holding you since I have you here."

His stomach grumbled. She grinned up at him…but not before noticing his abs.

"Someone can't stay in bed all day." She teased.

He picked his wand off the dresser. "Bet me."

He summoned a tray that included fruit, muffins, and coffee. He picked up a green apple and bit into it, and she went for the strawberries.

She was about halfway done with her portion when two small bowls floated in from the kitchen. The first one slipped in front of her. "Nothing goes with strawberries like cream." His contained honey.

She quirked an eyebrow at him.

He smirked. "You've never had apples and honey?"

She shook her head. "Apples always seemed sweet enough by themselves."

He sliced a bite off with his wand and dipped it in honey, then offered it to her. She couldn't believe she was doing this, but she let him feed her, guiding his hand to her mouth, and taking a quick bite. She licked a drop of honey from her lips as she chewed. And she could tell from his heated look that he noticed. But he just dipped the same piece of apple back into the honey, and ate the rest of the slice she'd bitten.

She wasn't sure if he'd deliberately left the drop of honey on his lips or if it was an accident…but the sight of him licking it off his lips left her feeling unsettled. Well, that and the fact that he was still holding her tightly with one arm.

Her appetite was gone. She'd have some of the coffee in a bit, but she snuggled back into Draco's bare chest.

"You know this is weird right?" She looked up at him. "You and me, spending the day in bed cuddling when we aren't…"

He smirked, looking more like the old Draco…but the twinkle in his eye was amusement rather than malice, so she was pleased to see it. He put down his breakfast and rubbed her arm with the hand that wasn't already wound around her. "Well if that is your only objection…" He leaned in and nipped her neck. She laughed and tried to scoot away, but not as hard as she could have.

He kissed the top of her head again and sighed. "It's been three years since I've had anyone in my bed to cuddle with. It's been longer than that for you, I can tell. I miss sex." He didn't have an issue saying the word. "But there are so many other things…like not waking up alone…like the scent of a woman's hair on my pillow…the comfort of knowing she's safe, because I have her close enough to feel her heart beating…"

He nabbed one of her strawberries and covered it in cream. "So if it's weird…I'm weird." He shrugged and started to bring the strawberry to his mouth, but she intercepted it. She leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Fair is fair…if you get to feed me, I get to feed you." She looked him in the eye and brought it to his lips. He closed his eyes and took a bite. He opened his eyes and saw her daintily eating the rest of the strawberry.

"If you want to know what my lips taste like, all you have to do is ask."

She gave him that clever little half smile. "I'm pretty sure you taste like apples and honey…and you were right…that's a delicious combination…"

_A man has limits._ That was his last thought before his lips came crashing down on hers. The kiss wasn't polite, it wasn't even sweet. It was hot, with far too much passion. He traced her lips with his tongue and she parted them slightly…and then there was nothing but the sensation of his mouth and hers. Eventually, the kiss gentled…eventually they stopped.

Draco looked at the tray. It had survived somehow.

"I will never be able to eat strawberries and cream again without thinking about that kiss."

She blushed, and his heart did that odd little pitter-patter thing.

He smiled down at her. "Do want anything more?" She shook her head, as he sent the tray back to the kitchen.

He sighed and wrapped both arms securely around her. She found herself drifting off again. "Uggg…I am so lazy today. I keep trying to fall asleep."

"Are you saying I'm not interesting in bed?" He laughed and snuggled her again. Like a giant teddy bear. Once she realized that he was holding her for his comfort as much as her own, she allowed herself to really relax.

"Seriously, if you feel like sleeping, sleep." He kissed her temple. "How long has it been since you spent an entire day in bed?"

She was relaxed so she told him the truth. "Since I had dragonpox."

She could feel the laugh rumbling in his chest before it came out. "I think we're both overdue. Sleep."

She wasn't sure why she felt so right falling asleep with him. But the reassuring beat of his heart lulled her to sleep.

**Draco:**

She was right, this was weird. But he'd felt so good about her waking up in his bed…he didn't want her to leave. Of course he'd love to spend the day shagging…hmm…that word didn't really fit…well, he'd love for sex to be involved somewhere in all of this, but he hadn't been kidding when he said that he missed other things more.

Her cheek was soft against his chest, soft and warm. If he discounted the fact that the lower half of his body was in pain, this was heaven.

Why her? He'd been around a good number of single women…nurses, patients. More than a few of them had been very vocal in their interest, despite his status as a former Death Eater.

Of course…they were after sex. He'd had enough meaningless sex before he got married. It was like cutting pictures of food out of a magazine and trying to make a meal out of it. It looked good, but it left him empty and wanting. Then those last months with Astoria…he felt a little sick when he thought about it.

He'd known, deep down that she was cheating on him and that had translated into angry sex most of the time…passionate, but it drained the soul.

In the months after the divorce he saw a number of beautiful witches…trying to prove that he was desirable and that his wife had been a fool to leave him…but those relationships had been as flat as uncorked champagne. He and Astoria were on decent enough terms now, considering. They only talked about Scorpius, but there was nothing wrong with that. She was pregnant now, and Scorp was trying to figure out how he felt about a little half-brother. He didn't mind the French wizard his mother had re-married, but he wasn't sure about a sibling.

Part of why it felt so right was because she was not like the other women he'd known. If she'd slept with three men in her life he'd be shocked.

He found his mind wandering back to fifth year, when she'd gone to the Yule ball with Viktor Krum. He'd had a hell of a time covering up his erection with his dress robes. He'd been dating Parkinson off and on for most of the year, and that was the night she'd decided that she wanted him…and he hadn't been able to touch her because Hermione Granger had been on his mind.

He was on the stairs when she'd yelled at Ron and Harry, and he'd had a crazy moment when he'd considered following her…comforting her. For years he felt shamed by what he felt for her, so he was even more obnoxious, so others wouldn't see…and of course, he was even worse to Ron and Harry, because they had _her_.

He watched their little love triangle form, and he wasn't sure that she and Potter hadn't been together at some point…the idea of it had made him crazy. Of course, then they all got involved in the war.

There was no trace of a scar on her arm anymore. It was like Bellatrix Lestrange (his Aunt) had never carved the word into her flesh.

He wiggled his fingers. There was no dark mark on his arm anymore either. Potter had seen to that when he'd killed Voldemort.

He'd made his apologies years before, and she had accepted them. He had put his schoolboy crush firmly behind him when he found out she was engaged to the Weasel…He had gotten engaged, he'd loved his wife, had a son…moved on from the stupid git who'd been obsessed with all the darkness in the world.

He wondered, briefly, what Potter would think if he could see them right now. Well, not right now. He chuckled inside his head. If Potter walked in and found him in bed with Hermione, he'd do something regrettable. But if he knew…say, that Draco intended to ask Hermione on a date…would Potter be jealous?

The image of her and Ron married didn't grate as much as the knowledge that she'd lived with Potter while they were on the run from the Dark Lord. Alone, part of the time. Two kids, running from certain death, living on edge? If they hadn't shagged they were saints. No. Hermione was a saint…Potter was just an idiot if he hadn't…

He'd never actually spent a whole day in bed when he wasn't sick…but he was going to try. Maybe when she woke up, she'd feel like talking…

The years of relentless work must be catching up with him too…he yawned, leaned down and kissed her, and fell asleep.

**Hermione: **

This was crazy. It was maybe two in the afternoon (she couldn't see the clock because Draco had her pinned under him) and she was lying in bed with a man she wasn't even sleeping with. She woke up when he practically rolled over on top of her. Most of his body was pressed against hers and it was making her heart beat come rather too quickly…

If her body hadn't been singing, she could have enjoyed the warm weight of his…again, it just felt so safe. She really was going mad. But the erratic heartbeat wasn't her only response to his body. His head was pressed against her breasts and his leg was wedged between her thighs…and if he woke up, she was sure that he would notice that the whole area was somewhat damp. If she could at least move away from his leg, she tried to squirm away, but he just held her tighter. His face was relaxed in sleep, but there was a tightness when she tried to get away. She sighed and gave up, smoothing his white-blond hair and kissing his head.

Funny that they would end up in the same bed after all those years of fighting. She had forgiven him long before he'd asked…she forgave him when she saw the look on his face while his Aunt was torturing her.

She continued petting his hair. His cheek was resting on her breast and it was the natural thing to do she supposed. She'd learned a lot about who he really was in the last weeks. Not the assumptions, not the gossip (though she couldn't help but wonder why they'd called him the Slytherin Sex God…one had to admit, that title was somewhat intriguing, even if it had been given to him by a bunch of teenaged girls) but she'd met the real Draco Malfoy…workaholic and proud father.

Why had he spent three years alone? He'd mentioned something about spending three years without anyone in his bed. And then he proceeded to wrap her in his arms like a treasure…and sleep like the dead. She wrapped her arms around him so that she could continue to play with his hair…it was like fine silk under her fingertips.

He was beautiful when he slept. Heartbreakingly handsome in a way that she had never been. She was girl-next-door pretty…but there was something about the bone structure that made him…well beautiful. If he'd been born a Muggle, he could have been a male model. She wondered why his wife had left. What on Earth would have prompted anyone to leave him?

He woke up enough to nuzzle her breasts and she drew in a hissing breath. He looked up, wide awake, and tried to slide his leg from between her legs. But the funny thing was, her legs tightened before he moved much, holding him where he was. He didn't fight her, he just stayed there, but he lifted his head enough so that his cheek wasn't being impaled on her nipple.

"Um…sorry." There was laughter in his voice.

She pulled his head back to her chest, tucking it securely under her chin. "What for?"

**Draco:**

He'd woke up from one of the most erotic dreams he'd ever had in his life, on top of a woman he'd wanted for years. His involuntary reaction led to him quickly try to move away…but her body held him. Since she was awake and most likely sober, he didn't try to get away. If she didn't mind feeling him growing, pressed against her thigh, well… he wasn't going to whine about it.

Once he got over his initial embarrassment he noted the changes in her body. Which didn't help him calm his own reaction…

She was still stroking his head. It made him feel like some sort of giant cat…maybe even a lion. "So, how long did I have you penned?"

She laughed and his head moved on her chest. He was sure that she felt his cock jump.

"You weren't kidding when you said you like to hold a girl tightly."

**Hermione: **

"Granger…Hermione…"

She could feel the hard length of him along her thigh. She could tell from his eyes that he wanted her. And by Merlin, she wanted him.

"Draco…"

His lips crashed into hers with a finality that would shock the wizarding world. As soon as their lips touched, there was no other outcome possible. They had to make love. It was an imperative.

His hands moved to her breasts and he made a strangled sound as they moved over the soft mounds. His mouth never moved from hers as he undid her bra and pulled it and her shirt away. Then he placed soft kisses from her jaw line to her collarbone, until he encountered her breast. He nuzzled it and she sucked in her breath through her teeth.

He looked up to her eyes. "Don't hold back with me. I want to hear every moan, every gasp…everything. I want to hear my name on your lips…"

He nipped her neck again then pulled strongly on one erect nipple. She whimpered, but in a way that made him want more.

"Hurts?"

"No…"

"Good"

**Draco:**

He bit and suckled and bit again until she was writhing on the bed…his bed. He licked down the line of her stomach, dipping momentarily into her navel, and continued as he stripped his pajama bottoms and her panties off her body. He buried himself in her sweet core…allowing the smell and the taste to rid him of every bad memory, every pain. There was no one and nothing right now, except the woman in his arms and her reaction to his plundering tongue.

She screamed out his name and it was the sweetest sound he had ever heard. He drank it in as she writhed above him. He moved to her neck again, biting her fiercely, marking her as his. Her body bucked as he did. She was panting…he was panting…he looked into her chocolate eyes and said exactly what he meant. "I love you."

Then he thrust inside her, screaming her name each time he moved inside her.

**Hermione:**

It was the 'I love you.' That sent her over the edge. She'd never had sex without love before, and she was used to hearing those three words. When he said them, something clicked inside her, and she became a more active participant….licking, kissing, and tasting him as he moved inside her, rising to meet his thrusts, writhing as he moaned her name.

"Draco…"

He kissed her again as small climaxes ripped through her body.

"Hermione…come with me…I won't last much longer if your body keeps doing that…"

She answered him with a deep kiss and moved with him as their tempo increased. Then she was arching her back, screaming wordlessly. When she came, he allowed himself to.

She stroked his hair as she enjoyed the feeling of him on top of her, still buried inside her.

**I didn't think it would take quite so long for them to get here, but they finally did! It may take a couple of days before I update again…Originally, I intended to end the story with this scene (or something very similar)…but as I've written it, I keep finding cool things I want to explore (we found out that Trevor the toad was still alive…who knew, right?) **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**Draco:**

His arms and legs were not responding, and it wasn't because the sex had been that athletic…it was just that good. Her body was still quivering, and her muscle spasms were starting to push him out of her. Just the thought of it stiffened him enough so he could stay inside her.

His groaned and moved enough to kiss her lips again. "I guess I don't have to say that was amazing."

She smirked at him. "I think you screamed it at one point." He laughed, and it did interesting things to the way their bodies were joined. He kissed her again, searching her eyes for regret. There was nothing there but affection and lazy satisfaction. He wanted to hold her, so he finally pulled out. _Uggg…it felt so good it hurt._

She whimpered as he pulled out of her. "I didn't hurt you did I?" She shook her head, but her look turned shy. "I'm kind of sore…" He kissed the soft skin at her temple. "I'm sorry you are sore. Was that…rougher than you like it?"

She shot him a look that would melt the polar ice caps. "No Draco, that was exactly how I like it." She was practically purring. He enveloped her in his arms again.

He took his wand off the bedside table and casually did a few spells that would make them more comfortable, including one that would ease her discomfort.

He almost dropped his wand.

"Hermione. I didn't do a contraception charm." Her eyes widened.

She whispered. "I didn't even think about it before…"

Their eyes met. She said "Oopsie."

Draco laughed at her comment. "Well, I guess we'll know if our little slip up leads to desirable consequences in a month or so." He smirked at her and held her as close as he could. "But next time, I won't be so careless."

She snuggled into his arms. "Next time? We're doing this again?" He kissed the corner of her mouth, where a smile threatened to break away at any moment.

"You have no idea how far I would go to get you in my arms again, now that I've had you once. You're rather addictive Miss Granger."

She chuckled oddly.

"What?"

"I'm not used to being called Granger anymore. It's been a long time since I was that girl you met at Hogwarts."

He nuzzled her neck. "You're as beautiful now as you were then."

She ran her hands along his back. "You're one to talk."

She kissed his lips so softly.

"I really needed a day off."

She laughed. "Well, this is certainly relaxing. Eventually though, we're going to have to find our clothing again."

He looked shocked. "I haven't gotten my entire day in bed yet! I was looking forward to keeping you here a full 24 hrs!"

She kissed him again, this time with more heat. "Well, you know that they say all work and no play…"

Her head shot up.

"That's it."

He had a sinking feeling that whatever her epiphany was, it wasn't going to involve more hot sweaty sex…at least not right this very moment.

"What's it?"

"I know what we need to do for the curse diagnostic. Do you remember the sorting hat?"

He caught the direction of her thoughts. Oh! "Something like that would work. It could even reach into the heads of both the caster and victim…which I'm not supposed to do…"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Because you are such an ardent follower of rules in general..."

He smirked lightly and rubbed her back. "I only break the rules now when someone's life is at stake."

"We'll need to get the best curse breaker they have…"

He smirked. "You're lying naked in bed with him love. Just tell me what you need and I'll be happy to provide it."

She hopped out of bed, but stopped to admire him. His face was guarded again, almost hurt that she'd jumped right up. "This can wait until tomorrow."

Then she slid back under the comforter with him. His spells had eased her soreness, and she decided that they should do something about that as soon as possible.

**Draco:**

There was something surreal about waking up with Hermione Granger naked in bed with him. He looked at the clock. It was early, but he thought he'd go ahead and shower so they could get ready for the day…besides, he wasn't sure that she'd want to make love again this morning, and he was rather…ready.

He got under the hot water and let the spray relax his muscles. His eyes were closed so he didn't see her come into the bathroom until she was walking into his oversized shower, looking like some ancient goddess of lust. Her hair was an absolute mess, her body was gloriously nude, and he could spy the small marks of their lovemaking…a hint of a love-bite on her neck, lips swollen from kissing, eyes languid from repeated orgasms.

He opened his arms to welcome her under the hot spray of water. She stood on her tip-toes to kiss him.

"Good morning."

He grinned down at her and turned them around so she could feel the full force of the hot water. He didn't want her to get cold.

She stretched like a cat, and looked up at him with those deep chocolate eyes, with droplets of water decorating her eyelashes…

Well, what was a man to do? He bent down and kissed her again, this time with all the pent up heat that was threatening to rip him to shreds under his skin. She responded immediately, and within moments he picked her up, and she obligingly wrapped her legs around his waist. Their mouths never parted as they tried to devour each other. She groaned into his mouth as he slipped in, but she moved with him, an active participant, so that he wasn't just slamming himself into her body…she was slamming her body onto his.

The moment he felt her release he didn't hold back. They stood in the hot spray, motionless, unwilling to move despite the fact that his muscles were beginning to twitch. If he moved, he'd have to pull away from her…

He bent his head and nipped her neck, softly. He didn't want to leave a mark on her again, so he avoided the area during sex…she shuddered against him, and her inner walls tightened. She chuckled.

"I sent an owl to Luna to see if we could talk to the sorting hat today…I'm guessing we'll have a reply shortly. "

He kissed her lips gently. "Is that the reason you came in here?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "No I came in here so I could take a shower with my lover. I wasn't expecting…this…but…" She laughed as she slid down his body. Then she grabbed his shampoo and started washing her hair.

Draco nearly growled. He let his hands slide down her body as the soap made her slippery.

She turned to him…eyes suddenly shy.

"You didn't say a word when I said you were my…lover."

He held her close. She was asking where they stood. Last night hadn't been planned. Speaking of not planning… Oh hell.

"I'll be quite a bit more than your lover if we don't stop forgetting the contraception charm."

Her eyes got wide. "We remembered most of the time…"

He snickered. "I'm a healer Hermione. Trust me when I say that once is all it takes. And forgetting two times out of six…well, I'm not sure how you feel about that, but I'd prefer to be married before I have any more children."

He laughed at the look on her face. Shock…with just a hint of something else. He filed it away for later.

"I'm just saying. This snuck up on us…and it's amazing. I know that I don't want it to stop." He never wanted it to stop. "I'm not sure how you want this…or if you want this…" He also couldn't believe he was having this conversation with her in the shower with her nude body pressed against his.

He wrapped his arms around her, sighing because he loved the way she felt against him. He whispered in her ear. "I don't know what you want."

**Hermione:**

"_I don't know what you want."_

His voice was so vulnerable.

She turned around and cupped his face, realizing that his guilt over his former Death Eater Status was one of the things that had kept him alone for years. She was a Gryffindor for goodness sake. She should act like it. She could do this….he should at least _know._

"I'd like to see where this goes. I don't want to hide it away…not that we could…Ginny was already asking about you…"

Draco laughed. "Justin asked about it after the first time I saw you."

She smiled at him. He really was beautiful and nude he looked like some ancient statue brought to life, with his pale skin and golden hair.

Draco groaned. "If you keep looking at me like that I'm going to ravish you again." He caught her earlobe in his teeth as he pressed against her, already getting hard again.

"Ravish?" Her voice was breathy.

He kissed her neck. "If you mock my word choices, I won't stop until you scream my name."

Hermione considered her options carefully. "How much mocking are we talking about here? Because I can mock that word choice, if I have to…"

He nuzzled the soft skin on her neck and swiped his tongue across her collar bone.

"That will do."

She laughed as he dried them both with a quick spell, used the contraception charm, and tossed her onto the bed.

What a way to start the day.

**Draco:**

Headmistress Longbottom (formally known as Luna Lovegood) sent word around ten that she would be happy to let them speak with the sorting hat.

'_You might want to wait until tomorrow morning to come, and then I can arrange for you both to have lunch with your children while you are here. I'm sure they would be disappointed if they learned you came to the school, and didn't see them.' _

He grinned at the letter. There was something a little breathy and unfocused about even her writing.

Hermione was eyeing him with some concern.

"Luna was imprisoned at Malfoy Manor during the war…"

Ah. He didn't want to discuss that…

"She and I eventually came to terms. My mother and I snuck food down to her when Auntie Bellatrix" his voice roughened in pure hate "decided to starve her".

He'd also stood up to his Aunt on one other little matter regarding Luna.

_The evil bitch of the west had decided that Luna was annoyingly optimistic…not a problem, a little rape would beat that right out of her. Draco felt his stomach churn at the thought of that night. _

_She'd tortured him when he refused. His mother found them there, sometime later, with Bellatrix screaming at him. She and his father had wrestled her wand away, though they'd been without wands themselves. _

_Narcissa had actually slapped her sister. "I will say this ONCE. If you ever touch my son again Bella, I will bury you, and not all the magic in the world will stop me." His Aunt had looked frightened, and though she blustered around and snatched back her wand, she didn't try to force him to do __**that**__… _

He didn't realize he'd been lost in thought for so long until she took his hand.

His voice was soft. "When the Ministry called me in for trial after the war, Ollivander, Luna, and Potter all showed up and testified on my behalf…and on my mother's." He sighed. "I didn't do much. But I guess it was enough so that people could tell that the only reason I joined the Death Eaters was to protect my family…"

She squeezed his hand. "It's over."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, letting the scent of her skin drown those old feelings.

"It is."

**You know how I said at the first of this story that it was going to run about 20,000 words…? Ignore that. I was having too much fun to stop. **

**What do you think? I've been re-reading and I found a few errors…once I finish I will (eventually) go in and fix them…**

**BTW: I LOVE reviews. Just in case you were wondering. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**Hermione: **

She hadn't been home for days, and she needed to get some clothes (though Draco insisted that she could either wear his, or forgo them entirely as far as he was concerned).

She eventually convinced him that she** was** going home, and he sighed loudly. "Fine. Hold on a minute and I'll throw on some clothes."

She would have made a remark about clingy men, except right now, with the thing between them being so new…there was a part of her that didn't want to be away from him…as if he might disappear if she let him out of her sight.

He returned to his living room minutes later wearing a casual pair of slacks and a truly sinful silver shirt. She'd never seen him in anything like it. It had to be some sort of silk blend, the way it moved with his body, and the v-neck just drew the eye to his chest, and then the eye naturally continued lower.

Draco eventually interrupted her ogling. "If I'd known you were going to like the shirt this much, I would have worn it much, much sooner. "

She tore her eyes away from his body. "I think the effect is heightened by the fact that I know what's under the shirt."

He crossed the distance between them in three strides and absolutely assaulted her mouth. The pretty silver shirt was the first article of clothing that came off. It wasn't the last.

Two hours later, they finally made it to her flat.

Draco eagerly looked around the lower floor while she raced up to her room to pack a bag. In the aftermath of their lovemaking he'd left no room for argument. She was coming home with him tonight. They would go to Hogwarts tomorrow.

She came downstairs to find him in the study. She'd done a charm on the room so it was perhaps five times the size that it should have been (at least according to the house's original blueprints.) The walls were lined floor to ceiling with books.

Draco grinned when she came in with her bag. "I should have known you'd have a library like this…but Merlin, Hermione, how did you get some of these? _Magik Moste Noble_ was hand-written, and copies were only given to a few pureblood families…"

She smiled at the book in question.

"I bought a lot of these at estate sales…auctions…an old Wizard from Essex left me three hundred rare volumes in his will…" She shrugged.

"It's nowhere near as complete as I'd like for it to be, but it is a start."

Draco snorted. "A bloody start. It's half the size of the library at Malfoy Manor and we've been collecting books for generations. You put this together in less than twenty years."

She dimpled, pleased with the complement. But his eyes had clouded over.

**Draco: **

He had smirked when he'd seen the size of her library. That was his girl.

He'd spent a few minutes enjoying that thought…his girl…and checking out her books.

But when he'd mentioned the Malfoy library, he'd realized that he'd read something somewhere about the sorting hat…in one of Salazar Slytherin's journals.

That book was one of a kind, probably bought or stolen from the same Gaunt family that had produced Tom Riddle.

He didn't remember it very well…he'd need to look it over again…but that meant going home.

He looked at Hermione.

"I just remembered something."

He explained about the journal.

"The thing is, I'll have to go to Malfoy Manner to look at it. It has spells on it so that it can't leave the library."

She looked slightly crestfallen.

"So I guess the question is…do you want to wait for me here, at my place, or would you care to meet my parents…as my girlfriend." He was shocked by her answer…pleased…grinning like a fool, but shocked. He was taking her to meet his mother.

While she got ready, he owled his mother, explaining the situation…well, he left out the fact that he was sleeping with Hermione, but his note made it very clear that she meant something to him.

He was a bit shocked at how quickly the owl came back.

_Draco,_

_Please bring Miss Granger with you to dinner tonight, and then the two of you can have the whole evening to find whatever you need in the library._

_Your father and I will make sure she feels welcome in our home. We're very pleased that you are finally able to pursue the curse-breaking project…and if I can say so, I'm even more pleased to hear that you are connecting with people again. _

_Until tonight._

_Love,_

_Mother_

Hermione was wearing an expensive set of robes when she walked out of her room. Looking at her, Draco felt like a kid again. Her hair cascaded from the crown of her head down one shoulder. The robes hugged her figure in all the right places. 

He'd already gone home to change, and he was wearing his favorite robes, black, with touches of silver at the cuffs, in embroidery. Her robes were black with delicate golden flowers embroidered along her collar bones, at the wrist, in a deep 'v' at her waist...

She grinned. "We nearly match."

He pulled her close. "Can I kiss you, or will it mess up your lipstick?"

She giggled. "I used a sealing charm on my lips. Nothing short of a killing curse is moving this lipstick."

He chuckled as he tested that theory thoroughly.

**Hermione: **

She smoothed her robes as they walked a few steps to the manor. Draco caught her hand and gave her a small nod.

"Are you alright?"

There were a lot of things she could say to that. She'd been imprisoned and tortured in this very house…but she'd long since put those painful memories behind her…and Bellatrix (the crazy bitch of the west) was dead.

Of course, there was the whole new issue of walking into one of the oldest, most bigoted pureblood homes and declaring that she, a muggle-born witch, was dating their only son and heir. She looked into Draco's silvery eyes and smiled. "I'm fine. I'm surprised you wanted me to meet your parents tonight…I thought you'd want to give them a bit more time to adjust."

He lifted her hand and kissed it. "They won't need it. They aren't the same people anymore either."

She took a deep breath and nodded. She hoped he was right.

A tiny house-elf opened the door when Draco rang the bell.

"Master Draco sir!" The little creature sprang up and hugged Draco tightly around the neck.

Draco didn't seem shocked. "Dainty, you're choking me!"

The little elf let go and hopped to the ground. She squeaked. "Master always says so!"

The elf shot him a look of obvious affection and then nodded toward Hermione and widened her eyes. "Master has brought a guest."

Draco laughed. "Like you didn't know I was going to. Hermione, meet Dainty, Dainty, this lovely woman is my date, Miss Hermione Granger." It was like he didn't remember that she'd been married at all, but she didn't correct him in front of the elf…who was beaming at her.

Hermione held out a finger. "It's a pleasure to meet you Dainty."

The little elf shook Hermione's finger with both hands. "The pleasure is all ours Miss Hermione. The pleasure is all ours." She looked up at Draco with tears in her over sized eyes, but she eventually stopped shaking Hermione's hand.

"The Master and Mistress are in the drawing room…Dainty will escort you there…"

Draco laughed lightly. "No need Dainty. I lived here for twenty years, I can find my way. They're in the East Drawing room, I suppose."

The elf nodded happily and hugged Draco tightly once again. "It is so good to see you looking so well."

Then, apparently overcome with emotion, the little elf popped out of sight.

Draco shot her a look and shrugged. "Dainty has her own way of seeing things. She came to us when Scorpius was born…" Ah, so she was actually Draco's elf as opposed to his parent's.

He took her by the hand and they walked down a series of corridors. They finally came to a set of double doors. He bent down to nuzzle her neck and whispered. "Are you ready?" She held her head high and nodded. _She hoped she was._

**Draco: **

He would never admit it to anyone, but he had butterflies in his stomach. He didn't know why. It didn't matter what his parents thought, not really…he'd never let a stupid prejudice come between him and what he wanted ever again…but there was still a part of him that wanted…

He didn't finish the thought, he just pushed the doors open. This was his mother's favorite room in the house. It overlooked the gardens, and she had decorated it in white, gold, and silver years ago. The effect was somewhat frosty, but Draco had always loved this room. It was imbued with her scent, and it was one of the few places he'd felt safe, even when Voldemort was in their home…his mother had some pretty powerful avoidance charms built into the door. People that she disliked or feared simply avoided this room.

So it made him smile widely when Hermione entered the room without pause.

His mother stood as they walked in, quickly putting away things at her delicate little desk, and she met him halfway across the room and took his hand (the one that wasn't clinging to Hermione's)

Her smile was real.

"Mother."

He kissed her cheek.

She smiled up at him. "Draco, love it's so good to see you tonight." He eyes went to Hermione and she nodded pleasantly. "Ms. Granger-Weasley. I hope you are well."

Hermione gave his mother a small, almost shy smile. "I'm very well. Thank you."

His mother looked at him again, and her eyes crinkled in a real smile. She looked so happy that he kissed her cheek again.

"You seem to be in an excellent mood tonight mother."

She raised one blond eyebrow. "Could it be because you decided to drop in with almost no notice at all…for once?" She laughed softly at whatever she saw on his face, and she cupped his cheek gently. "These past few years it's taken a special occasion to get you here for dinner. Hex me if I'm a bit excited that my son has finally decided that there is more to life than working every minute of the day."

Then, to Draco's utter amazement, Narcissa Malfoy flashed an honest, warm smile at Hermione. "Now let's sit until Dainty calls us in for dinner…" She waited until they were all seated before she mentioned "Your father went to the wine cellar right before you walked in…he forgot to pick the wines for tonight…" She looked down at her folded hands.

" I think we need to change his potions again Draco…he's still having trouble remembering little things…"

Draco sighed. A second stint in Azkaban hadn't been good for his father's health. "Those are the most power potions on the market Mother. The trauma should heal in time, as long as he doesn't use too much magic and he stays relatively peaceful. Is he still painting?"

His mother smiled softly.

She pulled out her wand and a large book zoomed into the room. "Oh yes. Every day. Look at these."

Draco opened the book and he was pleasantly surprised.

Page after page of water colors of different aspects of Malfoy Manor…his mother eating breakfast in the garden, a fuzzy looking painting of his parents beside the lake, one of the peacocks on the lawn while his mother sat and read a book. Actually, his mother was in almost of all of these. Hermione was smiling softly. He reached back and tucked a curl behind her ear as she leaned toward him.

He smiled at her as he turned the page, and was startled to see a picture of his mother sleeping…quite obviously nude under a sheet. Draco felt his mouth drop open and his mother looked to see what had caught his attention.

She let out a little surprised laugh. "Oh my! That's a new one." She laughed again. "Drat the man…I don't know why he can't just sleep at night like the rest of us." She picked up the book.

"I'd better check the book from now on before I show it to anyone. Shut your mouth son, it's not attractive to gape."

He felt Hermione take his hand as his mother sent the book back where it belonged.

His father chose that moment to re-enter the room. His mother still had a hint of blush on her cheeks and Draco only hoped that he'd controlled his face. Hermione was smiling at him.

"Draco."

He got up and he and his father gripped each other's arms in greeting.

"Father. You know Hermione Granger-Weasley."

His former Death Eater of a father just nodded. "I do. We are pleased to have you here Ms. Weasley."

Draco felt his face fall. He hated being reminded that Hermione had been married to Weasley. It just bothered him.

**Hermione: **

She felt Draco stiffen with his father's comment. She could tell the elder Malfoy wasn't particularly friendly to her, but he seemed determined to be polite…and it just might be because his wife asked him to.

His paintings were a mute testimony to his love. They looked like Narcissa of course, but somehow, he seemed to take twenty years off her face when he painted her…and still make her look like herself.

So it wasn't hard to say "Please, if you would both call me Hermione?"

He nodded expressionlessly, but Narcissa smiled again.

Dainty popped into the room with a quiet _crack_. "Dinner is served."

The conversation was a bit stilted at first, Draco's parents were obviously very glad to have him, and they kept looking at him like they hadn't seen him in a long time.

The food was excellent, if a bit formal, and eventually some of the awkwardness started to ease.

Narcissa seemed intent on making her feel welcome. 

"We heard from Draco that you are running the Phoenix Foundation…that's a demanding position."

She nodded as she finished something orange on her plate. She had no clue what it might be, but it was delicious. "It can be quite a job, and unfortunately there are never enough funds…or rather, there are always new places to put them." She sighed lightly. "We do what we can."

Narcissa smiled. "Perhaps if you would like, we could arrange to host a fund raiser or two. We used to do that sort of thing a lot, once upon a time. " Her husband nodded, smiling a bit. "We don't mix much socially anymore, and perhaps it is time for us to do so. The Malfoy name was tarnished by our actions during the war, but we still have friends who are willing to overlook those things."

Hermione smiled. "That sounds lovely Ms. Malfoy…but it might work out better if the benefit went directly to St. Mungo's….after all, no one can deny that you have an excellent reason to raise funds for the hospital…" She looked at Draco.

Draco smiled. "Maybe something for the Children's unit."

Narcissa was quickly preoccupied with planning a guest list, happily discussing the details until everyone had finished dessert. Her husband eventually caught her hand. "I'm sure Ms…I mean, Hermione will be willing to discuss this with you on another night my dear…but she and Draco did have some rather important research to do, if I'm not mistaken."

Draco nodded. "We had better get it done."

Everyone got up. "Thank you for inviting me for dinner. It was lovely."

Narcissa smiled. "Think nothing of it my dear, and please, send me an owl and we'll continue our discussion about the fund raiser."

**Draco:**

"Well, that went well." He was holding her hand as they walked to the library.

She looked up at him, with her chocolate eyes and blinked. "Was that sarcasm or do you really think it went well…because sometimes it's hard to tell with you."

He laughed and it rang down the hallway. He wasn't sure he'd heard that sound since he was a small child. "No, really, for my parents, that was about as good as it gets. My father wasn't a prick, my mother was actually excited about something…other than Scorp...for once… Things haven't been this good around here since years before the war."

He opened the double doors to the library. "Here we are. "

He'd been anticipating her reaction since this morning…but somehow it felt like longer than that…like he'd been waiting to see this for years. Other women were drawn to his (supposed) wealth or his ancient lineage…Hermione only knew one sort of greed (her thirst for knowledge)…and his family library was just the place to satiate it. He was a Slytherin after all…he'd use whatever advantages he could get.

The journal was kept in a glass case at one end of the library. The case had once held several other ancient books, but the Ministry had taken many of the darkest texts when they imprisoned his father. He slowly removed the layered charms and curses that protected the book. He grimaced to himself. It was no wonder he was a good curse-breaker, growing up in this household.

Eventually all the enchantments were removed. He gingerly picked up the book and waved his wand one last time to be sure there weren't any residual curses against Muggle-borns or some rubbish like that. Then he carried the book to the long table and flicked his want to pull up two chairs.

Hermione leaned in close as he read the pages out loud.

_Though things have become tense in the castle, I have to admire my old friend's brilliance tonight. It is easy to forget that Godric is not just a strong arm…he uses his power like a battering ram so often that one forgets that he is also a master tactician._

_We four were arguing, as we often do of late, about the fate of Hogwarts when we pass on. I was arguing for a blood test, and Helga was once again strongly opposed to bringing any blood magic into Hogwarts. Her prejudice against even the mildest and most beneficial blood magics blinds her, and might be her biggest weakness as a witch. Of course, since she is as ferocious as her name sake on the dueling ground, I doubt it will do her harm there. _

_Godric whipped his own pointed wizard hat off his head and muttered a spell, then he told us to use our wands to add memories. I quickly understood what he wanted, so I was certain to add every instance where our school had been threatened by Muggle borns who either did not know how to or refused to keep the magical world a secret. _

_Eventually the hat was full of our collective memories, and Godric used another spell to animate the hat. It was rather amusing to watch…_

Draco finished reading the paragraph. Hermione sighed. He kissed the top of her head.

"Slytherin wasn't a monster. It was just that he grew up during the witch trials, when Muggles believed in magic. As I've gotten older I've re-read a lot of the material that the Death Eaters quoted…most of it was out of context." He shrugged. "He wasn't perfect, and he feared Muggles…but he wasn't a monster."

He knew why it was so important. Why he needed her to admit that Slytherin wasn't evil. He'd always seen himself in Salazar Slytherin, and that hadn't changed since the war…there were too many similarities...

Hermione took his hand and kissed the inside of his wrist, causing his pulse to leap beneath her lips. She gave him full eye contact as she pressed another kiss to his palm.

"I want you to know that I'm sure you are right about Slytherin. But I also want you to know that it doesn't matter to me. I admire you for the man you have decided to be. You made that decision…not your parents, not your ancestors…Draco Malfoy decided to become a healer, a good father, a friend to his muggle-born boss. You took what you were taught as a child, kept the things that were useful to you, and threw out the things that you didn't want. It helped you become the man you are today…the man I've fallen in love with in just a matter of weeks."

The last sentence was said softly. He closed his eyes, drinking in the moment. He knew he was grinning like a fool. He took her face in his hands and kissed her until they were both breathless.

He picked up a roll of parchment and quickly used a transcribing spell to copy out the notes they needed. "Let's say goodbye quickly…I want to get you home."

His heart was so full it tried to burst out of his chest. "And by the way, I meant it the first time I said it…and I mean it now. I love you." He kissed her again.

**Well, that went well, and it sets us up to meet the sorting hat! Reviews make me happy, and when I'm happy I write faster…So I want to send a great big THANK YOU out to everyone who has left a review. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine **

**Hermione: **

She woke up before her wand went off. The clock by the bed said it was five in the morning. It was still dark outside, but the moon was throwing shadows all over the room, and she could see him quite clearly as he slept. He was restless tonight, and his back was turned away from her.

He turned suddenly and pulled her to his body. The stress she'd seen in his back dissipated and he mumbled something in his sleep…

She snuggled back into his arms. Within seconds he was kissing her neck. "What woke you?"

She turned in his arms and returned the favor, scraping her teeth along the sensitive skin on his neck, and letting her hands roam his bare chest. She wiggled her hips so that there wasn't an inch between them and felt him growing in response.

He laughed and captured her mouth. "Oh, so that's what woke you up…did you _need _me Hermione?"

She loved the teasing note in his voice. She reached up and nipped his lower lip gently. "Desperately."

And somehow, she was ready…she didn't waste another minute. Her fingers found the drawstring of his pajama bottoms as his long, clever fingers worked the buttons on her pajama top. Within seconds he was feeding on her breasts while kicking off his pants and pulling off her panties. He didn't bother stripping her pajama top, he just let it frame her body once he had it open.

He pulled her on top of him and sunk into her. Hermione sucked in a breath. She was wet, almost embarrassingly so…but he was large enough that it was almost a fight to get inside her, and every inch filled her, made her want to scream.

And that was before he started moving inside her.

This time she set the rhythm, and it was slow to start. She took almost five full seconds to move up the length of him, and another four seconds on her slow ride back down. Draco's jaw was tight, she could tell he was enjoying it…but that it was a kind of torture too. Her body adjusted quickly and she moved quicker, though she still took her time, feeling every inch of him moving in and out of her, kissing his lips when she came close enough.

Draco actually started writhing under her in an effort to control himself. He was trembling when he opened those silver eyes and growled "Witch." He flipped them so quickly that she barely felt it as she landed on her back and he began moving inside her with serious intent.

She loved this position and rose to meet his thrusts, kissing and licking his flesh at it came near her mouth. He stretched her hands over her head and wrapped his hands around her wrists. "Come for me." He kissed her fiercely. "I love you, and I want you to let go…scream my name Hermione. I need to hear you scream it."

She was being carried away by the golden pleasure building in her body. She whispered his name. "Draco."

He thrust into her again.

"Louder, love. I need to hear my name on your lips. Let me know you belong here with me…"

Another hard thrust.

"Draco!"

He took the tempo up and she closed her eyes and came undone in his arms. Each thrust led to chain reactions inside her body, and at some point she felt his shudder.

She eventually began to draw lazy circles on his naked, sweaty back…and she fell asleep with him still buried inside her.

**Draco: **

He was still trying to relearn basic motor functions when she drifted back to sleep. Eventually, he felt her body push him out.

He watched her sleep, propped up on one elbow and playing with her curls. He quieted her alarm when it went off, and padded to the bathroom to shower and shave. She was curled in the middle of his bed when he came out of the shower. He watched her while he picked out robes for the day, and his body stirred.

He shook his head. Hermione would not be pleased if they missed this trip to Hogwarts…and he was rather looking forward to seeing Scorp today too. He could wait to shag her again…at least until after lunch.

He stretched out beside her and kissed her neck, swiping it once with his tongue. His hands covered her breasts and he lightly massaged them, enjoying the weight and soft skin.

"mmmm…Draco…"

Oh, it was going to be hard to stop. "Hermione, we have to get up and get ready to go to Hogwarts."

She sat up, and the sheet fell away from her upper body, giving him an unimpeded view of her breasts.

"I didn't hear my alarm…

"I did. I decided to let you sleep while I showered. I sent my owl to the bakery so breakfast will be here in a moment. Get up and shower love, and I'll brew some coffee."

She pulled the sheet up to cover herself and stretched. His eyes feasted on her arched back, the expression on her face…the way her lips looked…

And before he knew it, he was kissing her again, and their passion flamed again. His towel and the sheet came off, and he beat his head to her breast. They weren't due at Hogwarts until 10…they'd have plenty of time.

….

He grinned at Hermione as they Flooed into Luna's office. They'd barely made it. Her hair was still damp from the shower (he'd taken her there again as they tried to clean up…). Her lips were swollen from his kisses, her skin glowing.

Luna greeted them warmly. "Oh my! Have the two of you been attacked by wrackspurts?"

Hermione smiled. "Not that I know of Luna…why would you think so?"

Luna's eyes took on a familiar dreamy look. "Because, the two of you look like you've been indulging in days of energetic sex…sometimes a wrackspurt attack can leave a similar look on a woman's face." She peered at Hermione and smiled. "No, I don't think wrackspurts were involved. Good to know you weren't attacked."

He exchanged a look with his lover. Luna turned and led them to an alcove.

"The sorting hat is over here…"

The banged up old hat was exactly the same as it had been when Draco had first had it on his head all those years ago…

"Well, if it isn't Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy…"

Hermione smiled at the hat. "And how are you?"

The hat smirked at them. "I'm quite well Miss Granger, quite well. I suppose I should say Ms. Granger Weasley….but I find it easier to refer to former students as I did when they attended Hogwarts. I had the pleasure of sorting two young Weasleys that had minds much like yours. I was quite sorry to hear about your husband."

Draco reached her hand, but she didn't seem upset. "It was a tragedy."

The hat nodded, but Draco knew he'd seen their hands entwined. "Sometimes we can emerge from tragedy stronger than we were." He turned to look at Draco.

"Mr. Malfoy. If I had told the eleven year old version of you that you would be here, in this position, right now, what would you have said?"

Draco chuckled. Evil hat. "It probably would have started with a string of curse words and ended with nasty comments about your salinity."

The hat chuckled. "Yes, but even then you had the flexibility to change, unlike some. Now, Headmistress Longbottom has informed me that the two of you are working on a diagnostic method for curse-breaking, and you think that something similar to me would do the trick."

They nodded.

"I will give you the information that you seek, the enchantments that brought me into being, but I must ask you to make an Unbreakable Vow that you will not use them on any other projects without first consulting me…and do be cautious what you put into your new diagnostic…it can only give back to you what you put into it. The memories that you use to create it will mold its personality, just as experience molds the personality of a human."

Draco looked at Hermione. "'I'll take the vow for both of us." She shook her head and grabbed his hands. "We do this together Draco." Luna floated over and agreed to bind it. Within moments, it was done.

The hat straightened. "Miss Granger, if you would place me on your head. Ladies first."

Draco watched as several emotions flickered across Hermione's face. She took the hat off and handed it to him.

Images flooded his mind; spells imbedded themselves into his memory.

A voice whispered into his mind.

_You see now, don't you? If something were to happen to turn me from my original purpose, I could be a terrible weapon. I can see into your soul. I know your heart and mind. You and Miss Granger will have to narrow the parameters of the spell, make your curse-breaking device very specific so that it does not have my potential for harm. Too many people will have access to it in St. Mungo's. It cannot be as self-aware as I am…"_

Draco found himself nodding as he removed the hat. "You're right of course." 

He placed the hat on its stand.

Hermione ran a hand over the brim.

"Thank you."

The hat smiled. "Thank you Ms. Granger-Weasley. And if I may…you don't have to forget the past to have a future…you simply have to have the courage to move on. I put you in Gryffindor for a good reason, all those years ago."

Hermione gave the hat a small smile, and Luna led them out of her office.

Luna gave them a dreamy look. "That went well I think. Now for lunch!"

**Hermione: **

Stupid, interfering hat. Could she help it if she was wondering if she'd lost her mind? After years of hiding inside herself, she was suddenly the center of Draco's undivided, incredibly intense attention.

She needed to refocus. The hard part of the day was over, she was going to see her children for the first time since September.

She suddenly wished that she and Draco had thought to discuss how they were going to handle the whole dating thing. He was looking at her out of the corner of his eye like he was thinking the same thing.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Should we tell them the whole truth?"

Heat flooded her face when she thought about this morning.

"Well…we should tell them we're dating. They don't need any more detail than that." She didn't need her teen aged daughter thinking she could act like _this_…oh the shame…but she refused to feel guilty.

He chuckled. "Most definitely. But I'll never make it through the Christmas season without seeing you."

Her heart melted into a little pool at her feet. She didn't get a chance to answer because Luna opened up the doors to a small room.

"I'll go to the great hall and get the children…I thought you might want to eat in here so you could have some privacy."

Hermione smiled fondly at Luna. "Thank you."

She took Hermione's hand. "Of course."

**Rose Weasley:**

Headmistress Longbottom was one of her godparents, so she didn't bat an eyelash when the dreamy-looking woman glided over to the Gryffindor table at lunch. "Rose, I have a surprise for you and Hugo." Rose waved goodbye to James, Lily, Albus, and Dean, and followed the headmistress.

She did begin to wonder a bit when they picked up the studious prefect from Slytherin, Scorpius Malfoy. She smiled a little at him while her younger brother Hugo glared. Hugo played Quidditch against Slytherin and Scorp was rather good. Silly boys, getting so worked up over a game.

They arrived at a classroom and the headmistress opened the door.

Her first thought was excitement. Her mother was here! Her second thought was '_Who the bloody hell is holding Mum's hand?'_

**Scorpius Malfoy: **

He wasn't sure why the headmistress had put him in a group with the pretty Gryffindor princess and her illiterate brother, but he could ignore the brother since Rose smiled at him.

He didn't know or care where they were going or what they were doing really, he was just enjoying the way her hair smelled as he walked beside her.

When the headmistress opened the door, he was surprised to see his father, but even more surprised to see what had to be Rose's mother.

_No…oh god no! He'd been working up the courage to ask Rose out for three years… Surely his father hadn't decided that this was the right time to start dating again…of course he had. Obliviate me now._

**Hugo Weasley:**

That twerp Malfoy was going to get a bludger to the head next time they played Slytherin. He needed to stop ogling Rosy.

Hugo spent most of the trip down the hall mentally inventorying his stock of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and wondering whether he could involve his cousin Al in a prank. Al didn't mind the pointy-faced Slytherin boy on a normal day…but then Al was too mellow for his own good.

When the door opened the first thing he noticed that a big twerp that looked like the little twerp was holding his mum's hand.

_Oh bloody hell…I'll have to write Uncle George for more supplies. _

**Draco: **

He hadn't meant to greet the children while they were holding hands...he'd simply forgotten to let Hermione's hand go. Scorpius' expression was frankly horrified (he'd have to talk to the boy later and make sure Astoria's parents weren't pushing that pure blood tripe on him). Rose looked shocked, and Hugo looked vengeful. It was like seeing a re-incarnated Ronald Weasley as far as the hot-headed reaction went…but there was a streak of planning behind the fury that gave Draco pause. That reminded him too much of himself at that age.

**Hermione: **

Draco had held her hand as they waited for the kids, and she had forgotten how strange that would seem to Rose and Hugo. She'd never even looked at another man since her husband died, and here she was holding hands with a stanger. She rushed forward and hugged them both, kissing them on their cheeks. Scorpius walked forward and gave his father a restrained handshake. Poor dear, he didn't seem pleased either. He probably thought that Draco was betraying his mother.

She decided to make the introductions.

"I love you both so much!"

Both Rose and Hugo hugged her tightly.

"Now, I had to do a bit of research here today with Mr. Malfoy, and so we decided to surprise you for lunch!"

She turned to Draco. "Rose, Hugo, This is Draco Malfoy…we knew each other at Hogwarts and we've been working closely on a project for St. Mungo's…he's a curse-breaker with the hospital. " She looked into Draco's silvery eyes, unsure of how to go on.

He cleared his throat. "Scorpius, this is Ms. Granger-Weasley."

Scorpius nodded pleasantly to her, but he still looked horrified.

Rose broke the silence. "So how long have you been dating?"

Hermione nearly swallowed her tongue. "Not long. But we were planning to do a few things together over the Christmas holiday…"

Draco smiled and moved closer to her. "We haven't set any plans in stone yet…"

Hermione could feel Hugo radiating dislike. He was so like his father sometimes.

Thankfully, lunch chose that moment to appear on the table and they managed to sit down and eat, letting common-place conversation carry them through lunch.

Scorpius unbent enough to tell them all about his last Quidditch match, a brutal grudge-match between Slytherin and Hufflepuff.

Hugo growled out that Hufflepuff would have won if their keeper had been decent, and Scorpius had given him a venomous look.

Then it was time for the trio to return to class. Hermione looked deep into her daughter's eyes, knowing that she had many questions and that this was not the time to answer them. "I'll send you a nice long letter this weekend sweetheart. Owl me if you need me." Rose nodded and peered at Draco from the corner of her eye. She hugged her mother tightly and whispered "I hope you are happy, mum."

Hermione felt tears well up in her eyes. She whispered back "I am sweetheart. I hope you are too." Rose smiled and moved aside so Hugo could get one last hug. "Young man, I expect an owl from you sometime this week…no matter how many Quidditch practices James schedules." Hugo hugged her tightly and nodded. "I will Mum."

**Draco: **

Scorp was acting very oddly. Draco eventually realized it couldn't be the old pure-blood nonsense. He was polite to Hermione and warm to Rose. The only people who got the cold shoulder at the table were Hugo and Draco.

As Hermione was exchanging goodbyes with her children her turned and hugged Scorp. The young man hugged him back, but he could tell he was still aggravated.

"What's the matter, son?"

Scorp looked down. "Nothing. It was good to see you before Christmas and all. Let me know what the plans are for Christmas so I can clear it with Mum."

Draco frowned. "I'm supposed to have you the first week…I imagine we'll see quite a bit of the Weasleys…unless you'd rather not, then I suppose…"

Draco saw the change of expression on Scorpius' face. "No, that's fine. It's bound to be more fun than spending Christmas with Grandmother and Grandfather the whole time. Do you think we could have them over to the manor? Rose would love the library…."

Draco's eyes widened. Ah-ha…so that was what this was about.

"She sounds like she's a lot like her Mum." He hugged his son tightly.

"Don't worry too much Scorp, gray hair will eventually show up."

Rose wandered over and smiled at both of them. "In that hair…not a chance, they'll never show. Scorpius will look exactly the same when he's seventy."

The girl looked at him with open admiration while his abnormally mature, self-possessed son blushed.

Rose didn't seem to notice, she grabbed his hand and started off toward class. "What did you make of Flitwick's application of reducing charm?" Scorpius threw one look back at his father and then started into an explanation as he wrestled his heavy backpack into place.

Hugo was giving them both a death-glare.

Draco found sudden inspiration. "We won't be able to make a Quidditch game during the season, but if you boys want, I think we should go to the Quidditch World cup this summer. It's being held in France, so it's not too far to fly, floo, or portkey."

Hugo looked up at him…but not too far. He was going to be tall and muscular, just like his father. "That would be cool. Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny were talking about going, but I didn't want to ask Mum…she hates Quidditch, unless I'm playing of course." The boy added the 'of course' in the manner of one who had been loved his entire life…by a mother willing to put her personal feelings about sports to one side when her son was involved.

Hermione proved that immediately. "Don't be silly Hugo…if you wanted to go, you should have mentioned it."

Hugo rolled his eyes at the idea that someone would have to mention wanting to go to the world cup and Draco laughed. Hugo looked at him with a slightly less antagonistic glare. "Don't worry, your Mum will enjoy this."

Hugo nodded picked up his own books.

"Love you Mum, I've got to hurry or I'll be late." Hermione waved as the boy jogged off. "Give my love to your cousins…and don't forget…send me at least one owl this week!"

Draco laughed. "I bet you get six lines, tops."

Hermione grinned as she moved closer to him and softly kissed his lips. "You are an insightful man, Draco Malfoy."

"mmm…." He kissed her again, and the passion flared between them.

He hurried her toward Luna's office. He couldn't wait to get her home.


	10. Chapter 10

**I had a bit of a problem with this scene. I didn't have writer's block…nope…I've written nearly 6,000 words to get it right…Now that Draco and Hermione finally found their way into the bedroom, they really don't seem to want to do anything else….and I still have a story I want to tell! Darn uncooperative characters! ; ) **

**Draco:**

He was holding her again, and admiring the way her softly curling hair looked draped across his bare chest. Her fingers were tracing patterns on his skin. He leaned down, cupped her cheek, and kissed her softly. She smiled back.

"How do you think your children are dealing with our announcement…really?"

She sighed. "Rose seemed fine with the idea, once I explained how happy I've been…"

He kissed her again, amazed that she was happy…with him. The corner of her mouth curved up in a one-sided smile.

"I believe that Hugo has contacted his Uncle George for more of his usual supplies so you might wasn't to be on guard over Christmas…something tells me that some of those are for you."

Draco groaned. "Like living through Fred and George as teenagers wasn't enough…"

Her smile faded around the corners, remembering the people who had passed on.

He squeezed her tight. "I will never forget the portable swamp." She gave him a grin for his effort, and then put away the memories that were making her sad.

"Well, don't tell Hugo about that one…they discontinued that after Umbrage left Hogwarts and I'm not certain he's heard that story yet…"

Draco snorted. "There are wizards in China who have heard that story Hermione."

She grinned. "Yes, but it wasn't about Quidditch, so there's a chance Hugo hasn't. I swore to George that I'd hex his other ear off if he ever told my kids about it."

Draco couldn't help it, she looked so happy and content in his arms. He kissed her again, this time with a little more warmth.

"You are insatiable."

He chuckled. "Only with you love."

She smirked. "Mmm-hmmm…. Don't think that I didn't hear rumors about the Sex God of Slytherin when we were in school."

Draco groaned and brought the pillow over his head.

"Damn Parkinson to hell. You know she started that rumor before we'd even slept together."  
Hermione chuckled. "That sounds like Pansy."

He mock-glared at her. "Yes, it's funny now…you should have been me! A poor innocent fourth year student…"

She flung her head back, laughing. "Innocent? You?" He kept his expression innocent, and she laughed until she started clutching her sides. "Stop it Draco, I can't breathe."

He kissed the tears of laughter off her face.

She looked up at him and sighed. "I'm glad you weren't the total man-whore that the Slytherin girls made you out to be."

He rolled his eyes.

"Not a total man-whore. Just eighty percent of one…"

She stuck her fingers in her ears. "I'm not hearing this!"

He pulled her finger out and kissed her cheek.

"I was never as bad as the rumors. Even when Astoria cheated on me, I didn't retaliate in kind…though I admit freely, that was mostly for Scorpius' sake."

She caressed his face.

He chuckled.

She cocked her head to one side. "What?"

He kissed her lightly.

"I was just shocked…after the war, when you and Weasley actually got married. I always thought that you'd end up with Potter…"

She raised her brows.

"Me and Harry?"

He tried to shrug as if it didn't matter.

"The two of you always had a connection."

The woman of his dreams smiled happily as she nodded. It did horrible things to his guts.

"Harry…as soon as we became friends, we were always together…he's always been my best friend."

Draco didn't ask. It wasn't easy.

But Thank Merlin, she continued.

"But he was only ever my best friend…more like what I imagine a brother to be like."

Draco snorted and finally said what was on his mind. "You're telling me that he didn't even try to seduce you when you were seventeen and on the run for your lives?"

She shook her head. "Of course not!"

He rolled his eyes.

"I always knew Potter was thick…never thought he was _that_ thick…"

He didn't even mind when she smacked his chest.

**Hermione: **

It felt odd to be in her own office again, catching up on her much-neglected paper-work…

Then again…the building was still standing. Harry and the rest of the staff had dealt with things quite well in her absence. Most of the piles on her desk were actually correspondence. _I guess the world didn't stop turning just because I didn't come in._

Narcissa had sent several owls, and Hermione was happy to assist the other woman in her charitable endeavors for the hospital. She'd just penned a thank-you note to one of her friends at the Ministry for pulling some strings on a minor point when Draco flooed into her fireplace.

She abandoned the parchment and greeted him with a warm kiss.

He grinned.

"We can start placing the enchantments tomorrow. That gives us about a week before the children come home for the holidays. I tendered my resignation to Justin."

He looked positively gleeful about that. She raised a brow. "How did he take it?"

Draco snorted as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "He nearly cried. But then I told him about me and you…"

She felt a light blush across her cheeks. Why did she feel like the admission of 'we are dating' somehow translated into 'we are having hot sweaty monkey sex."?

Draco grinned. "He…well…he was very typically Justin."

Hermione couldn't resist. "What on Earth could Justin have said to make you uncomfortable?"

Draco took her in his arms, a familiar smirk on his lips. "Just teasing love…though I had to promise that I'd let him be in the wedding."

Hermione coughed. "I wasn't aware we were getting married."

Her lover smirked at her. "Neither was I, but my soon to be ex-boss swears he's had visions before…maybe we should check the hall of prophesy?" He kissed the tip of her nose so she would know he was joking.

Draco patted her back but didn't let her go. He had a wicked glint in his eye. "And we have to name our first born Justin…even if it's a girl." She tried to keep a straight face.

"But the worst part was that he said 'I told you so'… over and over, and over again. Unfortunately he picked up on the fact that I was crazy about you the first day I saw you again…and he's never going to let it go."

Hermione smirked. "Well, getting to tell Draco Malfoy 'I told you so' has got to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. I'm glad Justin made the most of it."

He kissed her properly. "Traitor."

When they finally came up for air, she grinned.

"So what do you plan to do with all this new free time?"

He chuckled. "Well, contingent upon the diagnostic running correctly of course, I'm going to spend the Christmas holiday with the people I love." He kissed her again. "Then I'm going to find a nice, quiet little wizarding hamlet, buy a house, and set up a private practice. I was talking to Blaze Zambini…he had a property in Hogsmead that would make an excellent office. You know…deal with sore throats and colds…and I have a stack of these ideas…mostly medical…things that can improve the way things are done. I'll be free to pursue some pure research…of course…I might need help with that." He grinned at her.

She stood on her tip-toes and kissed him softly. "I could see my way clear to helping with that."

He looked around the office.

"Do you want to go out to dinner to celebrate?"

She looked at the stack of mail waiting on her desk.

Then she looked into his silvery eyes.

"I'd love to."

**We're nearly to the finish line on this one. I'm planning for 12 chapters with a possibility of an Epilogue if I need it. We'll have 'Happily Ever After' in T minus two chapters and counting. If you've liked it so far, why not leave me a review? They make my day…. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Heart of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Eleven**

**Hermione: **

In the end, every medical curse-breaker at St. Mungo's and every former medical curse-breaker donated memories for the new diagnostic test. Harry managed to drag a good number of Aurors in from the ministry as well, and a quiet stream of silvery memories arrived by owl once word of the project spread.

She walked into the room where they were setting up the enchantments and found Draco holding on to a beaker in his hands. He didn't look up. She rubbed his back.

"Do you really think this is going to work Hermione?"

She brushed his cheek with her lips.

"Of course I do. We're giving it a good foundation of memories to start with. All you have to do is teach it how to think the way you do…"

He snorted. "Is that all?"

"Draco. You can do this."

He ran a hand through his hair. Which memories did he need to give the device…which memories would be the most important…?

He looked up and Hermione was looking down at him. He pulled her into his lap and kissed her.

"All right, let me finish up here and we'll cast the final enchantment."

She left without a word, just another brief kiss on the cheek.

**Draco: **

Draco closed his eyes and remembered.

He remembered the feeling of his mother's hand wrapped around his when he was a little boy. He remembered the way he'd felt when he first rode a broom. He remembered the first time he'd seen Hermione's face when he was a child.

He remembered his son's face when he was born.

He remembered the curses he'd broken, and the people who had been cursed. He remembered the worst curses he'd seen. He remembered the faces of people as they left St Mungo's…people who left the hospital alive because of his skill. He remembered the faces of their friends and family.

He took a deep breath, and vividly remembered the first patient who had died when he couldn't cure him. He remembered telling the man's wife, the gut-wrenching pain he felt that day…the awful hangover the next morning…

He poured as much of his life into that single glass jar as it would hold. Every thought, every kiss, every caress…all the best things about being human. The reasons why people would curse each other…the reasons they had for living. The consequences of being wrong…

He walked back to Hermione with the beaker brimming over.

She raised her eyebrows. She was pouring the other memories on. There were probably a hundred empty glass tubes in a box beside her. Draco slowly added his own memories.

Hermione looked up at him and grabbed his hand.

"Let's finish this."

Draco smile and they cast the enchantments that the sorting hat had engraved on their brains.

When they finished, the table opened up a small mouth at the top left hand corner. Eyes appeared on the headboard.

"Ah-ha. Should I thank the two of you for bringing me to life?"

The table had perfect elocution.

Hermione smiled at it.

"If you fill your intended purpose that will be thanks enough."

Draco cleared his throat. "We have a few non-life threatening curses we'd like you to try to unravel. If you are ready…"

The steel table rolled its eyes. "Oh yes, please, put me to work nearly instant I'm created…after all, why should I _mind_…"

Draco ignored the table because the thing sounded exactly like the ancient wizard he had apprenticed to….grumpy, anti-social, and incredibly brilliant.

"Justin, can you levitate Mr. Patterson in?"

The small round balding man floated in from the hall and landed squarely on the table.

"Hmm….Unconscious, steady heart-beat, regular breathing, no outward signs of other trauma. REM sleep cycle is activated, signs point to pleasant dreams. Looks like some sort of nice-dream hex gone wrong rather than an actual curse."

Draco nodded to himself. "Recommended treatment?"

"Try the counter-curse for the nice dream hex, but spin your wand a quarter turn to the left as you recite it. It should offset the effects of the improperly placed jinx."

Draco nodded.

"Excellent. Justin, send the next one in."

A young boy with blue hair breathed fire as he sat down on the table.

The table hummed. "Looks like a rather excellent example of a Morning Breath jinx."

Draco nodded.

The table continued. "Any idiot should have been able to Finite Incantitum this! Why are you wasting my precious time?"

Draco grinned and revered the curse non-verbally. The boy hopped down and shot them a grin before he left.

"The reason I brought that one in is because I wanted to make sure you'd go over normal hexes before automatically assuming that it's something exotic. Justin, next!"

A middle aged lady sat down on the table.

"Merlin's beard! First of all, lose some weight."

Draco coughed as the witch gave the diagnostic table a death glare that would have made Voldemort pee his pants.

"Secondly…it looks like some sort of silencing spell, but it isn't a normal curse. Very neatly done…the tissue in her tongue has actually fused with the tissue of her cheek. Like a langlocker curse, but with more malice intended. It's a good thing it was neat though, it could have closed down the esophagus if it had been improperly cast. I've never seen it before, but I expect if you add a sharp jab to your wand motion to end the langlock…"

Draco did and the furious witch spent five minutes yelling at the totally indifferent table about his bedside manner.

Hermione broke out into laughter as soon as the poor woman walked out. Draco stared. "Sorry! It's just the irony…complain about a bed's bedside manner…"

The table turned its eyes to Hermione.

"I like you young lady. You have a very appealing laugh."

The bloody table was flirting with his lady!

She grinned back at it.

"Well, I think you've done very well for your first day. Draco and I are going to take the rest of the day off, but Justin and some of the other curse breakers will be here with you.

He wasn't sure hour the table managed it, but he looked down trodden.

"You're leaving me here alone?"

Hermione patted it.

"Of course not. We're leaving you here with lots of people who will be amazed at you work. Plenty to do to stay busy, and plenty of company…"

The table didn't look happy about it.

"I'd rather you stayed with me."

Draco watched in shock as Hermione reassured the table.

"Oh, Draco and I will be back tomorrow."

"Pfft. As if I care about where he is…"

Draco took exception to that.

"Hey now, you were made with my memories!"

The table snickered. "Which may be why I find Hermione so…appealing."

Hermione was blushing furiously. The table noticed.

"Don't worry my dear. I was just tweaking Malfoy a bit. You are welcome here any time."

Draco put his hand on the small of Hermione's back and led her away from the table. It laughed as he walked away. Stupid, formally inanimate object!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve:**

**Hermione:**

The house was decorated, and it smelled like Christmas, thanks to all the baking she and Draco had done over the past few days. Draco walked into her living room and kissed her soundly.

His trademark smirk appeared, but the funny thing was, she didn't mind it anymore.

"The car is warming up."

She reached up and brought his head down to kiss again."Thank you. It's sweet of you to drive."

He shrugged.

"I don't do it often, but it makes sense to know how. I hate taking Scorp on a slide-along…when he was little he'd be sick for hours after."

She nodded.

"Well, let's go pick them up!"

They joined a good number of parents at King's Cross and made their way to platform 9 ¾.

Draco was unashamedly holding her hand, and a few people were taking notice, but she didn't let that bother her.

"Hermione! Draco!"

Ginny rushed up and pulled them both down for a hug.

Hermione grinned.

"You are glowing!"

Ginny laughed. "Oh that's just the red hair!"

Draco smiled down at her. "No, it's not."

Harry came up behind them. "C'mon Draco! You've already got my best friend, do you have to hug my wife too?"

Hermione laughed and hugged Harry. "There you go, now you are even."

Draco laughed and wrapped his arms around her.

Harry grinned and mirrored the motion with Ginny.

"I've got the list of captains for the new Quidditch league…let's meet up next week at Hogsmead and see if we can arrange for refs…I think it's going to have to be strictly voluntary…"

Draco shrugged with his arms around her.

"Make the Captains do it. If you play five games a year, you have to ref three. And we're going to need to add a time limit to the traditional rules…we all have jobs and kids and none of us want to play a nine day match…"

"Malfoy!"

Hermione looked up and saw a small man in ill-fitting wizard robes.

"Damn blood traitor."

**Draco:**

Being universally hated was a pain in the ass.

He moved Hermione behind him as Borgan walked up. The little man had escaped going to Azkaban because he was never in the middle of anything dark…he was just the man who sold you the dark ingredients for potions and specialized in cursed objects.

He saw Potter draw his wand.

"I don't want a scene Borgan. You need to leave."

The dirty little man gave a hacking laugh. His eyes held a tinge of something Draco well remembered from his Aunt Bellatrix…his eyes were completely mad.

"Oh yes Mr. Malfoy…of course Mr. Malfoy…let me lick your boots Mr. Malfoy!"

Draco sighed.

"I'm not my father."

The little man glared. "Obviously not. Your father earned his place as a leader of pure-bloods. He deserved respect. You, you filthy little blood traitor…you besmirch your entire ancestry by protecting that piece of filth behind you."

A crowd was gathering. A lot of people were looking upset about Borgan's words.

"Speak of her like that again, and you'll find that my wand work is still highly persuasive."

He could feel his voice chilling. His wand was at his side. Borgan pulled out his own wand and pointed it to Draco's chest.

Harry had his wand at Borgan's head.

"As an Auror, I think you should leave now Mr. Borgan, before this incident becomes a concern for my department."

Borgan spat on the ground. "Sod off."

But the older man turned and limped off.

Draco turned around to check Hermione.

The last thing he heard was a curse…and Potter yelling. Then, blackness.

**Hermione:**

She had her wand out as soon as the vile old man showed up, but she didn't want to do anything publicly if she could avoid it. It would set a bad example for the children if their mother got carted off to Azkaban for attacking someone on her way to get them off the train.

She relaxed a little as Bogan walked away, though Harry never let down his guard.

Draco turned to her and grinned.

And a bright light seared her eyes.

Suddenly, hexes, jinxes, and curses were flying everywhere.

Borgan went down from whatever spell Harry said nearly as soon as he hit Draco, but three seedy looking characters came from one corner and started throwing spells. Harry took a bloody wound in his wand arm, Draco was down, and people were trying to leave…except for the ones who were throwing jinxes…some of them were inaccurate enough to hit the remaining bystanders.

Hermione rolled Draco over and ducked as a spell came close to her head. Not dead…not dead, dear lord don't let him be dead…a pulse…he was alive…cursed, but alive.

In that moment she saw red in a way that she hadn't since the final battle at Hogwarts. Perhaps not even then. Her lover was cursed, her children were minutes away from pulling into the middle of this mess, and her best friend was bleeding.

She knew that she stood up. She cast a shield spell over Harry and Draco and then she turned to their attackers.

She wasn't sure how it all happened. One moment she was by Draco and Harry, the next she was dueling, stalking closer to their attackers with every hex she threw at them. One of their assailants went down immediately to her stunner. She dodged a flash of green light. She lashed out viciously, and the second wizard was sporting a nasty gash in his head, bleeding profusely, unconscious. The third and most skilled went down to a body bind curse after she ducked out of the way of his Imperio. She was breathing hard when Ginny ran up. It had been seconds…only seconds since she'd left Draco's side….

"Hermione! Hermione….he isn't worth it! We need to see to Draco and Harry." What was Ginny babbling about? She wasn't planning to kill these idiots…well, not really. Hermione lowered her wand. None of them were getting up.

People rushed up. Her mind started working again.

"I'll send a message to Kingsley, then we need to get these people to St. Mungo's."

She tried to summon her patronus, but the sight of Draco's still form was the only thing she saw when she closed her eyes.

She took a deep breath. Apples and honey…being cuddled next to him….

She felt the warmth from those memories and let it flow through her. The spell was almost too easy to cast.

But , as she saw her patronus, it was no longer a silvery otter. A shining phoenix was looking back at her.

"Kingsley, this is Hermione…we have a situation at platform 9 ¾."

She turned to Ginny.

"I'm taking Draco. Is Harry…"

Harry looked up at her with a grin. "Just a flesh wound Hermione. Nothing like what you did to those blokes."

She nodded but looked at Draco with concern.

"Can you pick up the kids? I need to stay with him…"

Harry nodded as Ginny healed his arm. "Of course, go on."

Harry hadn't even finished his sentence before she had him to the hospital.

**Draco: **

He woke up on the steel table. Its' snide voice was the first thing her heard.

"Did you really think it was essential to go to this kind of extreme to test my competence Healer Malfoy? I assure you, it was entirely unnecessary. Though of course I was happy to see Hermione again I could do without your dead weight laying on me." The stupid table was smug. That just made his bloody day.

The second thing he heard was "Draco! Oh thank God!"

He let himself focus on the feeling of her wrapped in his arms as he tried to remember what happened.

"Borgan!"

He heard Harry Potter chuckle.

"On his way to Azkaban as we speak. He'll await trial there."

Hermione mumbled "It makes me almost wish we still had dementors at the prison."

He stroked her back while Potter gave her an exasperated look.

He smirked at Draco.

"You should have seen Hermione at the platform. Borgan wasn't alone…he'd picked up some rag-tag scum with delusions of being Death Eaters…she took them out with extreme prejudice. Makes me wish we'd been able to talk her into Auror training."

Hermione looked Draco in the eye and kissed him. Then she turned back to Potter.

"Oh Harry, stop. You know you would have handled it…."

Ginny interrupted. "How? Harry was down from the cheap shot to his wand arm, and he was having trouble doing spells at all. I'd fallen down in the chaos, and people were panicking. Enter Hermione Granger, heroine from the Battle of Hogwarts, who stepped in and took out the bad guys…"

Draco let Hermione hide in his chest for a moment while her friends laughed. They weren't really teasing. He could tell. But Hermione was embarrassed…

"Are you alright?"

She looked up at him. Her cheeks were scarlet. He'd never even seen that shade of red on her face when they were making love. _Oh well, gives me something to aim for…_

"Merlin Draco, I'm not the one who got hit with the curse!"

He kissed the top of her head.

"But are you alright?"

She laughed into his chest, but it had a slightly hysterical edge to it.

"No. I thought you were dead when I saw that curse hit you. I felt like my whole world was crashing in…and then I realized that you were cursed…"

Ginny piped in helpfully. "And then she annihilated everyone on the other side like Voldemort on a sugar high."

His lady was still blushing.

He ran his thumbs along her cheeks.

"Hey, I love you too…"

She was shaking.

A loud _crack_ announced visitors outside the door. Milly came in, looking relived, followed closely by his parents.

"Oh Draco! What did he do to you?"

His mother looked pale.

"I have no idea. I just woke up."

He turned to Hermione.

"Where are the children?"

She smiled. "Molly has them. Ginny dropped them by while Harry was dealing with Borgan."

Draco's eyes went to his father, who was clearly vengeful.

"And where, exactly, is Borgan?" Draco laughed.

"Already in Azkaban father. Apparently Hermione already took care of this smirch on the family honor. Potter was just telling me that she took out three or four of them…"

He saw her blush. "Harry took Borgan, but his backup caught him in the wand arm…I just took out the back-ups."

Ginny snorted. "And calmed the panic at King's Cross, summoned the Ministry, got Draco here, punched Belinda Bulstrode when she tried to block you from the curse diagnostic table, and cured Draco." The little red-head looked at Harry. "Did I leave anything out?"

"No love, I think you summed it up nicely."

Draco noticed that Potter gave his parents a very odd look.

"I'm not sure Hermione could take another complement, and it's getting crowded in here. We'll head to Molly's and get the kids. You pick yours up later when they let you out of this mad house."

With that, the Boy who wouldn't die and his feisty little wife disappeared.

Draco allowed his parents to coddle him for fifteen minutes, but he insisted on leaving the hospital after that.

Justin wasn't pleased, and neither was Milly.

"Draco, don't be an ass, that curse was nothing to fool around with…"

"Healer Malfoy MUST not leave!" The little house elf could and would use magic to enforce her dictates…

The table even put in his two cents.

"I believe that Healer Malfoy will be quite alright if he is allowed to rest, no matter the location, as long as he rests…no less than 48 hours!"

**Hermione:**

Hermione smiled at Justin and the elf.

"Justin, I think he will be fine at home, either at my home or his. Milly, would you care to come with us? That way you can make sure that I take proper care of Draco."

The little elf's ears wagged.

"Yes Lady, I think that that would be best. Milly has expended a great deal of personal effort the past seven years to keep the young doctor alive…he is after all a scion of the House of Black, and Kreacher is Milly's brother…it is our duty to serve the house of Black…"

Hermione rolled her eyes. She should have known.

Narcissa was looking at her with a proud smile on her face.

"He could stay at the manor you know, both of you could, and all three of the children…"

Hermione shook her head but Draco was already answering. "I feel fine Mother, and I promise I will rest. I doubt Hermione will give me an option on that, and I know that Milly won't. We'll bring Scorp by in a few days."

Narcissa seemed a little let down, but she nodded her head.

"Bring all three of them out for brunch. Dainty will enjoy having company."

Draco looked at her and she nodded.

"Thank you Mother, that will be lovely."

The table had been very quiet but as she helped Draco to his feet he made a noise like he was clearing his throat…even though he didn't have a throat to clear.

"Hermione, please make sure Mr. Malfoy keeps his nose out of trouble for the next few days? If worst comes to worst, hex him."

She smiled at the table. "I'll make sure he's safe and sound."

**Draco:**

He spent three days under the watchful eye of Hermione and Milly the house elf, but eventually everyone had to agree that he was fine.

He didn't like staying in Hermione's home. He couldn't help it. It still held too much of Weasley…and she was still wearing her wedding band. He wondered if she even realized that…

He sighed.

He was naturally cunning, rather than overtly brave…but he was brave enough, if it was the best means to his preferred end…and in this case it was the only route. There was a good chance that he was pushing too hard, too fast…but he'd take that chance because the alternative was living in this half-state…this wretched dating phase where she wasn't truly his.

**Hermione:**

She didn't sleep well. For one it was Christmas Eve morning, and she was excited. For another, Draco was in the spare bedroom with Scorp, and not wrapped around her body like a constrictor. She also felt ill…even the thought of coffee made her turn a bit green.

She sat down at her dressing table and looked at the golden band…the ring that she'd worn for nine years since her husband died. Draco had noticed, but he'd never asked her to remove it. She wondered what Molly and the kids would think…and then she pulled it off and placed it carefully back in the dusty box that Ron had presented it to her in. It was time. Even her patronus had changed. The phoenix's cycle of death and rebirth from the ashes wasn't lost on her…she was sure she knew the reason why it had changed.

She went down stairs in her robe and turned the coffee pot on without a thought…and the normally delicious smell made her turn around and lose everything on her stomach.

Draco wandered in as she was throwing up.

"Hermione…love, are you alright?"

She grimaced. "I must have eaten something bad." She picked up her wand and cleaned up the mess, including vanishing the residue from her mouth. She felt a cold rag on the back of her neck. "It's alright. I feel perfectly fine now."

Draco nodded and poured himself a cup of the coffee.

"So we have brunch with my parents, dinner at the Burrow, and Christmas eve traditions back here after. It's going to be a long day."

She nodded as he talked about their itinerary, wondering what she could have eaten that might have made her sick. He came closer with his cup of coffee and she felt her stomach roll.

He noticed her flinch. She reached out to him.

"It's just the smell from the coffee…did the cream go off?"

Draco shook his head and kissed her temple.

"It tastes fine to me."

He pulled out a small box.

She looked up at him.

"I've been carrying it around for weeks…" His voice was soft….

She picked up the little box and looked at him once more. Was she ready for this?

She opened it, and a beautiful ring winked back at her.

"Hermione, living without you isn't something that I ever want to do again. Marry me….?"

She smiled at him with tears in her eyes.

"I love you. Of course I'll marry you."

His kissed her and slipped the ring on her finger. It was a little too big.

"I'll need to take it to get sized. It was a many-times great grandmother's…funny enough, she was a Gryffindor too…but don't tell anyone, we Malfoys have a reputation to maintain after all…"

They both laughed…and it was amazing to her that they could laugh about it now.

She gazed at the ring. It was a beautiful opal surrounded by flawless diamonds.

"It wouldn't matter, but I love the ring. It's beautiful…"

He pulled her into his arms. "Just like you."

There was a loud cough. Hugo walked in his Chudley Canons pajamas.

He took their embrace in stride and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Hugo! That will stunt your growth."

The red head chuckled. "Not likely mum!" The boy turned to Draco. "So did you ask her yet?"

Hermione looked at Draco in shock.

Draco laughed. "Well, I had to ask permission to ask for your hand didn't I?"

Hugo couldn't hide his grin.

"I'm getting away from the mushy stuff. Scorp and I are going to bring our brooms when we visit his grandparents. He says you have enough room to play one on one."

Draco nodded.

"Plenty of room. You two will have an excellent time…"

Hermione watched the children bickering and laughing as everyone got ready to go, and Draco wrapped his arms around her.

"What are you thinking love?'

She turned around and kissed him.

"I'm thinking that I've never been this happy in my entire life."

His silver eyes crinkled as he grinned at her. He bent down and kissed the tip of her nose and just held her for a moment.

"I want to make you happy, every day for the rest of our lives…I never want to be apart from you again."

She laughed.

"It's a good thing we're both clingy."

Chocolate eyes met silver ones.

"When two souls realize they are one, they don't want to part."

Hermione felt tears well up in her eyes…

"You do realize that line is going in the wedding vows…right?"

He tossed back his head and laughed.

Something that she hoped they would be doing for a very very long time…

**Author's Note: Well, that's the end…lol I'm kidding. I'm working on the Epilogue, and I'll to have it up in a few days… **

**Thank you to everyone who has left a review, added this to story alerts, favorite story, or favorite author. I'm so flattered! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Again, Thank all of you for coming along on this journey. Sorry this took so long to upload…I hate endings! I never want the story to end! Lol **

**So without further ado, I give you….**

**Heart of the Phoenix: Epilogue**

**Christmas:**

When Ginny saw the ring, she was so excited that nearly took Hermione's hand off, dragging her around and showing it off to the rest of the inhabitants of the Burrow. Draco watched with an amused glint in his eye.

Molly had a soft smile on her face when Hermione finally made her way to the corner where the family matriarch sat with her knitting.

She gripped Hermione's wrist tightly.

"You know that you are as much my daughter as Ginny is. And I'm going to look at this like I'm not losing a daughter…I'm gaining a ferret."

Draco laughed as he walked up.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley."

Thick streaks of silver decorated her hair as she grinned up at him.

"I always thought it was funny that they called you that…you know the ferret is part of the weasel family…right?" He took the older woman's small hand.

"I'll take good care of them."

Molly Weasley nodded. "I know you will."

Hermione chose that moment to look pale and rush out of the room.

Ginny followed.

"I didn't think that Mum's approval made you that nervous…"

Hermione was emptying the contents of her stomach. Ginny pulled her hair back.

"Easy now. Do you need a potion…?"

Hermione grimaced and did the spells to clean up.

"No…I feel fine now. I think I must have eaten something bad."

Ginny smiled to herself. It had been years since Hermione had dealt with these symptoms, but Ginny was the size of a small planet…she thought that the symptoms looked very familiar.

But there are some things that are more fun to figure out for yourself…

**Draco: **

Hermione was sleeping like the dead. He was glad to be back in the same bed with her, but it would be more fun if she spent more time awake…

He grinned down at her. She'd firmly nixed his idea of a New Year's Eve wedding (he was kidding…sort of). They hadn't set a date, but he wanted it to be soon… They were going to Muggle London today to Sype her parents in Australia. He hoped they didn't have heart problems, but surely setting up a video conference was a hint that the news was important…

He'd already signed papers on his new office in Hogsmead, and they were still discussing what they should do about their living situation. He sincerely wanted to move somewhere new, and Hermione didn't mind, but they needed room, with three teenagers who would soon be home for the holidays…

Hermione groaned as he kissed her awake.

"Love, we have to get ready to go to London if we're going to speak with your parents…"

"I'm so tired…"

He smirked and bent down to nibble at her delectable neck.

"mmmm…."

"You think you can sleep though this…?"

She arched her back and wiggled closer to him.

"Not a chance…some days I can't believe that we've been doing _this_ non-stop for months…"

Her oversized brain finally put the pieces together as Draco continued to kiss her.

"Draco…how long have we been doing this?"

He laughed.

"Not nearly long enough, my dear Mrs. Malfoy."

She rolled her eyes.

"We aren't married yet."

He kissed her again.

"I'm practicing."

"But seriously…how long?"

He rolled his eyes and answered "Since November…" as he nibbled his way down from her collar bone to her breast.

"Oh my God."

Draco smirked. He'd barely touched her.

She pushed him off and reached for her wand.

Well, that wasn't her usual response…

He recognized the charm immediately of course…he was a healer after all…

The charm came back positive before the normal two minute waiting period was over.

"Oh my God."

Draco was in shock, but only for a second.

His mouth descended on Hermione's with more passion than he'd ever felt.

**August: **

Mr. Malfoy?

Draco looked up at the nurse as he smoothed Hermione's curls away from her face.

"Mr. Malfoy, meet your daughters…"

Draco helped Hermione sit up and kissed her cheek softly. They each took a little girl as they cooed over them. "Dear lord, we had mini-Grangers!" Hermione smiled at him.

"I don't know love…they both have your eyes…"

He kissed her again.

"Do you want me to bring in the other children?"

She smiled up at him.

"Hugo, Scorp, Rose…come meet your sisters."

Rose rushed into the room and demanded the baby as soon as she passed him. Within seconds she was cooing and gurgling to one of her sisters. Hugo and Scorp hung back, but Draco could see that his son's eyes still lingered on Rose in a way that was not brotherly.

_I'll have to have another talk with the boy…_

It would be hypocritical to demand that they didn't see each other, but his son was still a Slytherin…there needed to be some firm ground rules in place before they began their sixth year at Hogwarts.

Hugo was taking his sister from his mother, and he grinned down at her. The little one seemed to grin back at her brother, tracking his movements. Scorp looked over Hugo's shoulder.

"Uggg…come on Scorp, take the other one from Rosie…I haven't had a turn yet."

Scorp grinned at his step-brother. "I'm not into stupid acts of bravery if they're likely to get me killed…and trying to take that baby away from Rose tops the list."

Rose looked up and grinned. "Too right. Mum, what are you going to name them?"

Hermione looked at Draco and grinned. "Your mother asked if we would consider Lyra and Cassiopeia to continue the family tradition…"

Draco smiled down at his wife.

"As long as you promise not to name the next one Cetus."

The medi-witch entered again, looking flustered.

"Mr. and Ms. Malfoy? You seem to have a rather large group of people here to see you…"

Hugo ran to the door and let out a laugh. "Come in!"

A troop of red-headed Weasleys, spikey-haired Potters, two pale Malfoys, two house elves, his former boss, and a rather interesting silver table on wheels crowded into the recovery room.

As the chaos quickly got out of hand, Draco leaned down to kiss his wife again.

"Have I told you today that I love you with all my heart?"

She smiled, but he could see she was tired to the bone.

"Allright you lot! Thank you all for coming, but Hermione needs to rest…healer's orders."

His mother snorted but she immediately offered to take the three oldest children back to the manor, and Dainty grinned and followed…

His father put a warm hand on his shoulder.

"You do realize that I will be spoiling this set of grandchildren even worse than the previous three? You mother and I are more practiced now."

Draco watched as Lucius Malfoy, former death eater, and pure-blood bigot leaned down to kiss his muggle-born daughter in law's sweaty brow. "You have given me such a gift Hermione."

He didn't linger and Potter was gracious enough to herd the frankly shocked Weasley clan out of the door.

**Many, many years later:**

Hermione stood in the library. She moved slowly now, but she admired the lovely leather-bound copies on the shelves, interspaced with wizarding photographs and the large family portraits that had pride of place on four walls.

This was their legacy, hers and Draco's. The rare books they had gathered from all over the world, the books they had written on magical theory and curse-breaking, the advancements they had pioneered in healing and potions, and most of all the family that they had raised. Her beloved, her partner, her best friend.

The first portrait was painted when the twins were three and their son Severus was only a brown-haired bundle on Hermione's lap. Scorpius had an arm around Rose and her engagement ring was already on her hand…Hugo looked like a carbon copy of his father, Ron. She and Draco looked so young…

The next portrait was larger. Lyra and Cassie were about ten years old, and Rose was holding her first daughter, Narcissa Molly Malfoy. Scorp looked proud enough to burst. Hugo's arm was wrapped around his very pregnant wife, Jasmine Lupin…a seven year old Severus was grinning like he was up to something. Draco was looking at her, with the same expression she saw on his face every morning, even now.

She heard her husband move up behind her.

"I should have known you were in the library." He kissed her cheek and she turned around and wrapped her arms around him. "It is my favorite room in the house."

"Dainty sent me to ask if you wanted to take your tea in here or on the veranda. I believe that our great-grandchildren are in the middle of a Quidditch grudge match…."

Hermione laughed. "Let's go out to veranda then. They grow up so fast…"

This was a legacy they could be proud of.


End file.
